Making Sense of Magic
by apricate
Summary: Harry Potter is, like most children, incredibly curious and imaginative. But thats where the similarities end. So like the curious child that he is, Harry strives to find out exactly what it is that makes him so different. He just didn't think that a talking tree would be the one to help him along the way. AU Elemental!Harry
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer : I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter and all rights go to her.

* * *

Most kids cultivated their imagination using story books, travelling to other worlds to feed their imagination. Most kids played make believe or dress up to experience another life where anything was possible. But Harry James Potter knew that he wasn't like most kids.

Because most kids didn't spend their days cleaning or doing chores. Most kids didn't work until their legs felt like jelly or their hands were raw and blistered from scrubbing the floor. Most kids didn't sleep in a cupboard. Harry could spend his entire life lamenting his sorrows and screaming all the injustice at the world, but that wouldn't get him anywhere. So Harry buckled up and tried to find out what exactly made him so different from most kids.

The first difference, he found, was his family or his relatives. Just from appearance they already looked different. Petunia was thin with a long neck while both Vernon and Dudley were unhealthily obese. But that wasn't all. From the garden, Harry saw how other families cared for one another, loved and cherished each other. He saw that while they occasionally had squabbles and fights, they were always there for one another. While everything, excluding the latter, maybe true for Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and Dudley, it just wasn't true for Harry. Harry wasn't loved or cared for, Aunt Petunia had said many times how he was forced upon them and how they took him in from the kindness of their hearts.

But Harry knew that those were just excuses. Stupid excuses they made to justify how they treated him. There was a couple down the street that had adopted a little girl. They treated her like she was biologically theirs so Harry couldn't see why his own family treated him so differently. After all, similar circumstances should bring about similar results, right? But then again one main difference in their situations was that her family actually wanted her though. Maybe it was because of his-

Footsteps echoed above him, loud and angry. Dust rained down above him, coating his hair and falling on his mattress while the spiders scuttled around looking for a hiding place. His cupboard door was wrenched open and he saw Aunt Petunia's angry face staring down at him.

" Are you waiting for an invitation? Where is breakfast? Is this how you repay us for giving you a roof over your head? Can't even do one simple thing, can you boy? You always were exactly like my no good, useless sister. Now get to work you ungrateful brat." She screamed at him, before slamming the door loudly in her fit of anger.

So Harry got to work, with that one thought echoing in his mind like a gong. Maybe, just maybe it was because of his parents.

His aunt called him a freak. But she called his Mother a freak too. Maybe it was hereditary? Like the thing that his teachers told him at school when they were explaining why they had to be nice to Sammy. The thing about the extra "chromo-soomes". But Harry had a gut feeling that "chromo-soomes" weren't exactly his problem.

His aunt hated his Mother. She hated her more than she hated the gossiping neighbourhood ladies, even though she was one as well. His aunt called his Mother a freak, a useless, no-good bimbo who got herself blown up in a car crash along with her drunk yard of a husband. But sometimes, he would hear his aunt whisper underneath her breath just before she smacked him senseless or called Uncle Vernon on him.

" You're just like she aren't you? Just like pretty, perfect Lily. You're looking down on me, aren't you? Just like her when she left me." Aunt Petunia would whisper, eyes vacant as she traveled down the memory lane.

" You're wrong. You're not perfect. You're a freak. You always will be a freak." Eyes that were once vacant are now simmering with hatred and jealousy. Her hand snapped back and slapped him. Hard. Harry's eyes were full of tears, but he refused to let them fall, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of seeing him cry anymore. She slapped him one more time before yelling for Uncle Vernon to come down and teach him a lesson. He wasn't allowed to eat anything for the next 3 days after that episode.

So it couldn't be about the "chromo-soomes", his aunt was jealous because she thought that Lily was perfect. She wouldn't be perfect if she had the extra "chromo-soomes" so it couldn't be about that.

Lost in his thoughts, Harry didn't notice Dudley and his gang whispering excitedly around the corner. He didn't notice them at all as they prepared their plan to hunt him down and beat him up, a game they would call Harry Hunting.

* * *

Authors Note : 

First chapter is done! Sorry, it's so short I got excited and wrote at 3 am and fell back asleep. It's a stupid excuse but I'll take your advice and try to write longer chapters:) 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer : I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter and all rights go to her

* * *

"Hello, Harry" Harry's head snapped up at hearing his name called, turning around to see Dudley and his gang standing around him, each wearing matching grins on their faces.

" Hello Dudley," said Harry, standing up slowly, his eyes scanning the garden, fruitlessly for a way out. His efforts were all for naught, as in his moments of obliviousness Dudley's gang had completely surrounded him.

Harry relaxed his shoulders and leaned back on the window, adopting a cool, careless expression on his face. He had suffered under Dudley long enough to know what got him off. Even though they had never cornered him at home, they had done it enough times at school for him to find out the pattern.

Harry cursed in his head. He was growing more agitated for the upcoming beating by the second. Although he mostly maintained his cool front, it was obvious from the way his eyes were darting back and forth and from how his muscles were tensed, ready to flee at the slightest notice.

" We're gonna play a game Harry " if possible he tensed even more at those words.

"What kind of game? " asked Harry. As if he cared! No matter how young he was it didn't take half a brain to know that whatever kind of game they would be playing, he would not enjoy it. He was trying to stall for time

" It's simple. You try to run and we catch you. "

"We'll even give you a 3 minute head start!" As if that would help him. It was an unfair fight of six to one, and no matter what Harry knew that he wouldn't escape unscathed. But then again his entire life was unfair so just maybe it wouldn't be as bad as it seemed.

Knowing he wouldn't get a warning, Harry ran as fast as he could, making sure not to step on Aunt Petunia's prized roses.

So he ran, not having any clear plan of where he was going. While he could normally outrun Dudley and his gang, the odds were stacked up high against him.

Before he knew where he was he had reached an old park. It was very old and rusty. The swings were barely functioning from all the rust and the slide was covered in mud. Dead leaves scattered across the playground. It was completely isolated, as no parent of the right mind would allow their child to play in such a dilapidated environment. Besides, there was a newer, much safer playground across the street.

In the middle of the playground, there stood a tall tree. It was very tall, reaching up to the sky like an endless ladder. Or maybe Harry was just short. It had long twisting branches in every direction, spreading out far and wide. It branches was thick, sticking out from the ground, rooting the tree heavily onto the earth.

Harry scrambled to the tree, trying to grab a branch to pull himself up onto it. But his short stature prevented his fingers from even brushing against a single branch. He glanced around the playground, looking for another place to hide. He could hear the sound of footsteps racing towards him.

Maybe it was desperation, but Harry could swear that the branches moved, curling towards him, an inch closer towards his fingers.

Jumping one more time, Harry knew that no matter how much the branch "moved" it wouldn't be enough to save him from his fate. He stopped jumping, instead choosing to sit on its gigantic roots dejectedly. He could hear them now.

So he braced himself and waited for them. Hearing a cry of excitement, he knew it wouldn't be long. Anytime now and-

Branches, dozens of them, scooped Harry up and lifted him up high.

The branches held him gently, the opposite of what Harry thought being scooped up by monster branches would feel like but hey, you learn something new everyday right? They brought him to the centre of the tree and sat him upon the branch as if carrying a newborn child. _Great_, thought Harry, _I'm gonna be eaten by a tree._

He could just see it. "_Here lies Harry James Potter, the boy who couldn't even die normally_"

Suddenly, the tree was shaking. Not in an earthquake-shaking way but in a more charged up way. It was as if the entire tree was vibrating, filled with energy, that made it seem so alive. Excited even. Green leaves cascaded around him and from the trunk, he could see something coming out from the centre of the trunk.

It floated up to him, only it didn't look like floating. It seemed like it was walking in air, adding to the ethereal aura that seemed to coat its very being.

Leaves fell perfectly into place forming hair...and a dress? Before he knew it, standing in front of him was a woman. Her skin made of tree bark, yet somehow it didn't look rough. Leaves of every shade of green were her hair and her dress, managing to look messy yet neat at the same time.

Then she spoke," Hello young elemental. I've been waiting for you for quite some time. "

* * *

Authors Note : 

Two chapters in a day! I don't think I'll have an update schedule and there might be a few weeks that I won't update at all due to exams and such but I'll try my best to update at least once a month. This chapter is longer and there might be some grammatical mistakes but I hope it's ok and up to your standard. And also just to clarify Harry is 8 in this story

**[EDITED 27/4/20]**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter and all rights go to her

* * *

_No_, Harry corrected himself, _he wasn't going to be eaten by some monster tree_. He was crazy. He was probably sitting in a white room in some loony bin.

No that couldn't possibly be true, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon would never pay for a loony bin! They had probably dumped him in some alley and he was actually sitting in a dumpster, staring at trash and hallucinating. Crazy people never knew they were crazy, after all.

The chances of him being scooped up by a tree, talking to a tree lady were extremely low compared to him being nuts.

" Hello little one " she spoke again. It was a rather unnerving experience for Harry. Her voice was quiet yet it echoed around him, grabbing his attention in a vice-like grip.

" Who are you? " He couldn't help but ask. He was crazy anyway, might as well just accept it and give in to the hallucinations right?

" I'm a Dryad. While we have no names, your Mother called me Kaia," she smiled gently. Kaia has this kind of aura around her that instantly made you trust her. She had a calm, comforting vibe. Although Harry had never felt such a feeling in his life, to him she felt safe.

Kaia seemed so old, her eyes were filled with experience, the kind you could only get with age. But at the same time, she held so much life. Despite looking so old, her eyes still held the vitality of youth.

However, two words caught his attention. Gathering up his daring, he asked, " You knew my Mother ?"

While chances were that he could still be crazy and this could all be part of his subconscious, Harry knew that it wouldn't hurt to try.

" Of course. Where there are Earth Elementals, there are always Dryads. We watch over them, guide them through their abilities. " she explained gently..

" An Earth Elemental. Right.. "

Kaia smiled. "You're Mother was one, and so are you."

Harry stared her down, trying to tell if she was being truthful, or if she was just a part of his subconscious.

" You're a wizard, Harry. " She smiled, sensing his confusion. " And an Earth Elemental. "

" I'm a what? "

" You're ancestors were wizards with a very special affinity for Earth. However, over time, your blood became diluted, producing more and more Squibs, like your Aunt. Magic only recently resurfaced in your Mother, and now you. "

Harry opened his mouth. Then he closed it again.

"So what you're saying is-is that Magic is real."

" Yes. "

" And I'm a wizard. One of those 'pull a rabbit out of a hat' people. " Harry swallowed, his mouth suddenly feeling very dry. " You're insane-_I'm_ insane. "

Kaia sighed. " Then how, pray tell, do you explain all this? " She asked as she gestured around them. She grinned when he didn't answer her.

She stretched out her hand and snapped off a thin branch. " Look closely, " She told him, and Harry watched, fascinated as as the branch _shifted. _It was twisting and changing until it resembled a small doll-like figure. " This is you. And this, " she traced her finger in a circular motion and he could see a small groove forming . "This is your magical core. "

" People who have magical cores and are able to access them are known as Wizards and Witches. Those who are born with cores but can't access them are Squibs- "

"-Like my Aunt. "

" Yes, exactly. Now your family can be traced back to Greece. Your ancestors were especially skilled in Earth Magic, which allowed them to eventually unlock their family magic. Another earth elemental family would be the Longbottoms, although they are a relatively young family. They're known for their green thumbs, and immunity to poisonous plants. " Harry whistled lowly.

" Another notable family would be the Blacks. They specialized in Transfiguration, and some of them became Metamorphoguses. " The doll shifted again, growing a small beak and a tail. "

" So my mother's a witch and an Earth Elemental? " Kaia nodded, pleased that he was finally believing her. " What could she do? Being an earth elemental and all that? "

"You family specialized in manipulating plants and earth. Your mother was especially skilled in earth manipulation. " Harry nodded absentmindedly. He was still trying to wrap his head around the whole magic thing.

" I can teach you, if you want. " Kaia said, her voice suddenly much more serious. Harry looked at her in a puzzled manner. " Teach you how to use your magic, I mean. "

Harry looked away unsurely. " I guess it would be okay. " he shrugged. Kaia smiled and held her hand out to him.

The air around him seemed to buzz, the pressure getting stronger and stronger. Harry glanced around the tree. He hesitated, before he shook her hand and instantly the buzzing stopped, rolling over him in waves until it faded away like it was never there in the first place.

" What was that?!" He asked in a shrill voice.

" Magic. "

Harry gave her a look. Glancing around, his eyes found his watch. His eyes widened as he saw the time.

" It's almost dinner! I need to go. " He told her. He rushed to the edge of the tree before backing away when he saw how high up they were." Would you mind helping me back down? "

Kaia smiled and with a wave of her hand he was being cocooned by branches. Harry leaned on the trunk of the tree for support as he legs seemed to give way to vertigo.

" Come back soon! " He heard her yell as he ran back to the house.

_Yeah_ right, he thought as he ran.

He may only be eight-years-old, but even he knew about stranger danger. Besides, he read enough fairy tails to know nothing good came out of making deals with fairy folk.

And while Kaia wasn't exactly a fairy, the rule still applied: Don't trust shady tree ladies.

* * *

Authors Note : 

Hello, my peeps. So yeah here's the third chapter. Like I said I have no specific schedule for updates so I mostly just right whenever the mood strikes me.

And also the name " Kaia " is Greek and translates to earth. It's pronounced as ka-i-yah. Please forgive me for any mistakes and feel free to point them out.

**[EDITED 27/4/20]**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter and all rights go to her

* * *

Harry held his breath as he stood outside the house.

Hopefully, with a bit of luck, they wouldn't hear him enter and he could slip into his cupboard unnoticed. He opened the door, wincing at the creaking sound that squeaked from its hinges.

" Harry! " Aunt Petunia squealed when she saw. She walked towards him with a smile on her face and Harry flinched when she raised her hands. With a hand on his back, she guided him to the dinner table.

" Have a seat. I made your favorite, " She presented the roast chicken and mashed potatoes with a flourish. It was Dudley's favorite actually, but Harry was too busy eating to correct her.

Taking a bite, he absentmindedly wondered if Kaia had bewitched him. The Dursleys had never been this nice before.

Something was clearly wrong.

" What's the occasion, ' He asked in a nonchalant manner when they finished eating.

" Your Uncle got a promotion, " Aunt petunia said as she passed Dudley his dessert. " Dudley, darling, why don't you watch the telly for a while. Your father and I need to speak to Harry privately. "

Harry stiffened when Dudley left, fully prepared to bolt.

" Grunnings opened a new branch in America. " She said, as she fiddled through the purse beside her. " Your Uncle got offered the position as Branch Manager."

" When do we leave, " Harry asked, eyeing her cautiously.

" _We_ are leaving next month. " Vernon spoke up. Harry had a feeling 'we' did not include him. " You will be staying here? "

" You can't just leave me here! I'm 8-years-old. " He could hardly believe what she was saying. They had never gotten along, but was she seriously considering abandoning her nephew?

" We'll drop you off in an Orphanage. " She said dismissively.

Looks like she was.

Harry laughed. " That'll never work. "

" The details aren't any of your concern." She glared at him. She held her wallet in her hand. " I'll give you 20 pounds if you keep your mouth shut. "

Harry narrowed his eyes. " 50 pounds. "

" 30! "

" 70. "

" 40!"

Harry leaned back as Aunt Petunia placed a calming hand on Vernon's shoulder. " A hundred pounds. "

Vernon sputtered. " You're insane if you think we're going to give you a hundred pounds-"

" Do you know that what you're doing is illegal, Auntie? If someone were to find out that you're abandoning your own nephew you're looking at jail term of at least five years. " Harry smiled sweetly at her. Honestly, he had no idea how long the sentence was. Harry didn't break eye contact, hoping they would buy his bluff.

He inwardly sighed in relief when Petunia looked away to open her wallet.

" A hundred pounds, and you keep your mouth shut. " She snapped, the money already in her hand.

" Of course, Aunty. "

She slid the money over to him. Harry counted the money, smiling as he tucked it carefully into his pocket.

" When do I leave? "

* * *

Harry had until the end of the week before he would be dropped off at the Orphanage.

Aunt Petunia had ordered Dudley to leave him alone, not wanting Harry to be riddled with bruises when they dropped him off. Dudley, of course, didn't listen but the Harry Hunting stopped after a while. Dudley was preoccupied with trying to guilt trip Petunia into letting him keep all his toys but the latter insisted that there was no way they could bring all his toys with them America.

Not much had changed, other than Harry having a lot more free time. Aunt Petunia seemed to be feeling slightly guilty and lessened his chores. During his free time, Harry went to the library and made sure to be as far away from the old playground as possible.

From the books, fairies were known as notorious tricksters. Give them your name and they stole your life. Harry felt a shiver run down his spine as he thought about it. He fiddled with the iron fork in his pocket. He was sure he never gave Kaia his name, but it never hurt to be cautious.

Harry frowned as he flipped through the book. Kaia said she was a dryad, but he couldn't find any mention on dryads other than that they were found in Greece. That didn't explain what she was doing in Britain at all, or how she new Harry's mother.

From what he could find, magical creatures often had tricks within tricks. He wasn't completely sure but there was a chance that Kaia had trapped him in a deal of some sort when they shook hands.

Of course, she could be telling the truth when she said that she wanted to help him, but Harry didn't like to leave things to fate. At best, Kaia genuinely meant well, at worst, she had tricked him into being her slave for all of eternity. He'd rather not be caught unaware in case it was the latter.

Luckily for him, the orphanage the Dursleys had chosen to drop him off was far, far away from Privet Drive and possibly anyone who could possibly recognise him. Saint Margarets' was a fairly new Orphanage in the North of London.

There was no way the Dryad would be able to snatch him.

* * *

He was leaving Privet Drive tomorrow.

It felt surreal. Harry wasn't sure if he should be excited that he was finally leaving or worried. Orphanages didn't exactly have the best reputation, after al.

_Or maybe he would be adopted by a nice, lovely couple and they'd live happily ever after. _Harry snorted out loud, causing the spider in the corner of the cupboard to scuttle away.

Harry around his cupboard. He had managed to fit all his things into his backpack (not that there was a lot to pack) and the only thing left was a couple of broken toys and used notebooks.

The Dursleys had out gone for dinner, and Harry felt the urge to explore the one place he had never been allowed to clean: the attic. If he was lucky, he would find something valuable that he could pawn off afterwards.

The attic was a small dusty room at the top of the house. It was mainly filled with extra sofa seats the Dursley's had no room for and a broken television set.

Harry, thinking he was wasting his time, moved to leave, but then stopped when a ray of light momentarily illuminated the dark corner of the attic.

In the corner of the attic, there lay a small few boxes stacked on top of one another. But that wasn't what made it stick out.

What made these seemingly ordinary boxes stick out was the fact that it was partially covered by a white cloth. It was the only thing in the entire attic that was covered. As if it wasn't meant to be seen.

Yanking the white cloth completely off the boxes, Harry coughed as dust flew into the air, catching the light at certain angles.

Opening the first box, he nearly dropped the cover in shock. Because laying there innocently, was a pink, glittery notebook with the words _Diary of Lily Evans _written in neat letters. Lily Evans. His mother.

* * *

Authors Note: 

Hi, guys so chapter 4 is done and completed. Sorry for any mistakes or errors. The plot is slowly coming together although it has a few bumps I'm pretty sure I can smooth it out along the way.

**[EDITED 27/4/20]**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter and all rights go to her

* * *

Harry couldn't help it. His mother's diary slipped from his hands, landing on the ground with a deafening thud. Glitter and sequins lay splayed on the ground from the impact.

His mother had written a diary! It was one thing to know your mother's name and a completely different one to get to know her. Aunt Petunia had never told him any stories of his mother. Why would she? Other than the occasional mocking, nothing about his mother had ever been said.

While Harry could never manage to properly mourn his parents, he could mourn the end of the life he could've had.

Picking up the diary from the floor, he continued looking through the box. _Advanced Charms, Moste Potente Potions, _and other books were found. They must be his mother's spell books. When Kaia said his mother was a witch, he didn't think she meant it so literally..

Harry bit his lip nervously, there were a few more books in the box. He shoved the books in his bag before fixing the cloth. Hopefully Petunia won't notice until they were missing until he was gone.

_Click. _Harry froze. That was the front door. Voices spilled in, destroying the tranquil silence that he was previously enjoying.

He raced down the stairs as quietly as possible, waiting until the Dursleys were out of his line of sight before he slipped back into his cupboard, his back pack tucked securely under his arm.

* * *

" Get up. " Petunia yelled.

Harry sat up. rubbing his eyes drowsily. He sighed as he tucked his mother's journal into the backpack. He had tried to read it last night, but it was too dark. Judging from how his backpack was tucked under his head as a pillow and the journal was splayed out on his chest, he must have fallen asleep.

The ride to Saint Margaret's was a quiet one. Occasionally, Petunia and Vernon would exchange hushed whispers and pointed glances but other than that it was as silent as can be.

Before he knew it, Harry had fallen asleep again, only this time he was woken by by Vernon with a rough shake.

" We're here, " He said in a gruff voice. " Remember the deal."

Harry nodded, still weary from the long travel. He got out of the car, slinging the back pack over his shoulder. Honestly he didn't know why he was so tired, he had gotten more than enough sleep. Blinking groggily, Harry shook himself awake and ran to catch up with Petunia and Vernon who were already halfway to the building.

They entered the building and headed to the main office. At the desk, there was a woman, sitting down reading a book. She observed them quietly, before Vernon stepped forward to explain to them the situation. Frown lines appeared as she eyed him. Standing up to her full height, she gestured for them to wait while she prepared the necessary papers and called Social Services. It was only then that Harry noticed her towering stature. She was taller than Vernon by an entire head, her height exaggerated by her thin stature.

" I'll give Social Services a call, " She said, gesturing to a couple of chairs. " Please have a seat while you wait. " She went back to her desk and soon the clicking of her keyboard filled the room. Harry at once turned to sit down while Petunia and Vernon continued to stand in front of the desk.

" Please, we really are in a hurry if you could-"

"Hi, yes, this is Saint Margaret's we have a child here. " The desk lady said loudly, cutting Petunia off mid sentence. Harry hid a chuckle behind his hand, coughing when Petunia turned to glare at him.

" Social Services should be here in half an hour."

" This is getting ridiculous! " Vernon shouted, face red with anger as he shouted at the woman. _Ah, yes. _Harry thought as he relaxed into his chair. _There was the Vernon he knew and hated._ He didn't like it when Vernon had started acting weird. He hadn't received a single threat since they left the house. Harry was starting to get worried.

" We have things to do! I'm sure you can handle it without us because we are leaving! " He declared, strutting out with his head held high. Or trying to strut at least. With how large his body was, he looked like a narcissistic elephant. Harry was surprised he managed to fit through the door with the combined size of his ego and body.

Petunia raced after him. They walked past him without looking back and Harry tried very hard to ignore the sudden pang in his chest.

The woman huffed in irritation, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand. Wiping her hand on her skirt, she turned to Harry.

" Oh , you poor thing. I can't believe they just left you here! " She muttered. " How are you feeling? "

Harry snapped his gaze away from the door. He smiled at the lady in a way that felt strangely hollow.

" I'm fine. " He assured her, eyes drifting back to the door. " Do you have any water? "

" Of course, " She said as walked over to a water dispenser in the corner of the room. Moments later, she was back in front of him, holding a cup of water in her hand. " Here you go."

With a small thank you, Harry leaned back in his chair and quietly sipped his water. _It was curious,_ he decided, _that someone who looked so stern could be so nice. _Especially since he was essentially a stranger. Although the orphan card did ten to inspire pity in most people..

It didn't take very long for Social Services to appear. What came next was a flurry of questions. The standard _what's your name? Birthday? Parents? _Harry answered the usual truthfully, seeing no reason to hide it. It was the _what happened_? That made him lie. Not really lie. More of, slightly change the truth to fit his needs.

Ignoring the voice at the back of his head telling him that _that was lying you idiot, _Harry gave them the whole tear-jerking story of how he ended up on the streets. His parents had died when he was a baby and he was given to his uncle and aunt. They hadn't liked him much, left him on the streets as soon as they found out that his aunt was pregnant to focus on their own family. Then the large man found him and brought him here. To all other questions, he feigned ignorance.

It didn't take long for them to move onto other matters. His health being one of those. Seeing the faded, but still visible bruises on his torso, they resolved to have another check up the following week. Harry played with the strap of his backpack, ignoring the burn the pitying stares and glances made.

Once all of the official matters were taken care of, Harry was finally allowed to settle in. Mrs. Peters, whom Harry had learned was the lady at the front desk, decided to show him around.

" We're new, so there isn't a lot of children yet. In fact, there shouldn't be more than twenty. You'll have your own room, but that may change if more children start to come." She said as she brought him down the halls, twisting and turning while gesturing to different rooms. Harry nodded as if he hadn't researched the orphanage and looked it up on google maps.

" Follow the signs for directions and there's a floor map on every floor. In total there are three floors so I wouldn't worry about getting lost. The main office is on the first floor as well as a small infirmary, the kitchen, and canteen area." She pointed at a small map right beside the stairs. The map was colour coded, with different colors highlighting the different rooms and stairs.

" Breakfast is at eight in the morning, lunch will be at noon and dinner will be at seven in the evening. A daily amount of chores will be assigned but as long as you manage to finish them before bedtime, feel free to visit the city centre. Bedtime is at 10 pm sharp. Failure to comply results in punishments." she said, looking bored as she brought Harry to his room. The room was huge! Well maybe not huge but it was much bigger than the measly old cupboard he was used to. It held two beds, a large dresser, two small study table each with a matching plastic lamp, two bookcases and a trunk at the foot of each bed.

Mrs. Peters' eyes softened as she saw boy marvel at what most would think to be modest accommodations.

" Dinner's in half an hour. I understand if you're too tired to attend. You've had quite a day. You should rest. " She said quietly, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. Harry tensed under her palm. She gave him one last smile before leaving the room with a faint click.

Harry heard the sound of her heels clicking against the floor get softer and softer. Laying his backpack on the floor, he flopped on the bed with a sigh and a small smile on his face.

* * *

Authors note: 

Sorry for the late update! I was caught up in some family stuff so I couldn't manage to update. I'm thinking about posting a one-shot or adding a couple of chapters about Harry's childhood or Kaia's relationship with Lily.

**[EDITED 29/4/20]**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter and all rights go to her

* * *

The first thing that Harry had noticed when he woke up was that he felt safe. It was a warm, fuzzy feeling that had him curling underneath his blanket and closing his eyes.

Harry opened his eyes and glanced at the clock on the wall opposite him. It was 7.30. He sighed as he got up. First impressions important and Harry really did not want to mess this up. He found it refreshing that no one here knew who he was. He could be a new person here.

Finding the canteen was a challenge. The map was not as helpful as it should have been. While the various paths were colour coded, they intercepted in so many different ways it gave him a headache trying to figure it out.

Harry huffed and peered at the map with squinted eyes. He gave up and decided to memorise the most direct path to the canteen, colour coded lines be _damned. _

_Two lefts, a right, and straight on. That's easy, _he thought as he hurried down the stairs.

He froze just as he reached the canteen.

Harry took a deep breath, ignoring the panicked voice in his head that whispered _but what if it's worse. _

_If it's worse, he had a hundred pounds, _Harry thought decidedly_. _He wouldn't be the first orphan to run away. The thought encouraged him enough to take the first step.

He held his breath and opened the door.

* * *

It was just another day at St. Margaret's Home For Children. At least, for Micheal it was.

It was a fairly new orphanage. It used to be an abandoned building, one that was maintained well enough for the government to patch it up in a fairly quick amount of time. Five years ago, seeing how there was a surplus of children in the streets and the existing orphanages seemed to be bursting at the seams, the government made the much-appreciated decision to increase the budget for orphanages. This lead to a couple of new orphanages to be built. Children from all over were being sent to these new orphanages, some being transferred while others were taken in from the streets. Micheal himself was one of the first few children at St Margaret's, having been picked off the streets when he was nine; and transferred orphanage to orphanage since then.

Having been in orphanages for almost half of his life, Micheal learned a few things. He learned that there wasn't really a bad orphanage or a good one. Because an orphanage was just a name they gave to a building. It all came down to the people inside it. Whether the caretakers did their jobs. Whether the children stuck together or tore each other apart. It was always the people who mattered the most.

So to Micheal, the most important lesson he had learned; a lesson that he made sure to share with every new kid— the orphanage was your _home, _no matter how temporary it may be. The children and caretakers were your family_. _And family _always _stuck together.

The reason for this was simple. Everyone child at this orphanage had been cast aside. They had no families, no parents, no brothers or sisters. At least none who cared. So they had to make their own. Their own wonderful, caring family. Where no one was exiled or cast away. In that family, they would stick up for one another, because here everyone knew how it felt to be alone. They were a _family. _ The caretakers, or the case of St Margaret, the Sisters were their mothers and aunts; the children their brothers and sisters.

Every child at St Margaret's knew this. Better yet, every child upheld it. They accepted this as a way of life at the orphanage.

Micheal knew he was seen as an older brother for most, if not all of the kids. He welcomed it. He knew he would be grateful if he had someone to look up to at his earlier orphanages.

Micheal was turning fifteen this December, and in three years he would be leaving the Saint Margaret's. He wanted help the orphanage as much as possible before the time came.

Then, a creak caught his attention. A small, timid looking boy entered the canteen, looking nervously. Micheal's breathe caught his attention when the boy looked straight at him with big, green eyes, before looking away bashfully.

The kid was adorable.

* * *

Harry wished the earth would open up and swallow him whole. After somehow managing to muster up enough courage to enter the canteen, he wanted to run back out with his tail between his kegs. There wasn't any problem with walking in except for the fact that _everyone was staring at him. _Even the toddlers were staring at him!

While the toddlers were staring at him in a more friendly way—some even waving at him— the older kids were blatantly staring at him.

Harry wasn't quite sure what to make of it. He felt blood rush into his cheeks as he began to walk faster. He grabbed a tray and went to the front of the tray to grab some food.

" Hello, child. You must be the newcomer Mrs. Peters mentioned, " said a woman who was serving the food.

_" _I'm sure Mrs. Peters already gave you a quick rundown of this place but if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask me. I'm Sister Marie, by the way, " she said as she handed him a bowl of oatmeal with an apple. And with that she sent him off to eat, telling him that he was too skinny and to come back for seconds.

Harry felt his stomach rumble. Loudly. In front of everyone.

Walking as fast as he could to the nearest empty table, Harry sat down and started to eat.

He was starving, before he knew it he had finished half the bowl. He knew that he would definitely be taking up Sister Marie's generous offer.

Before he could stand up to get more food, someone sat down beside him. A tall boy who seemed to be one of the oldest in the room smiled at him.

" Hey, I'm Micheal. I'm your honorary helper for today. Any questions, any help needed just ask me, " Micheal said, beaming at him while offering his hand to Harry.

" I'm Harry Potter. "

Micheal quickly warned himself to Harry. The older boy was funny and nice and Harry felt his sides starting to hurt from laughing to much. He didn't notice when more and more people joined the table until eventually it was full.

Micheal was nice. Harry liked him a lot. Micheal was like the cool, goofy older brother. He was the type to never shy away from pranks but at the same time did not let things go too far. So to Harry and every other kid at the orphanage, Micheal was definitely _cool._

Breakfast had been a blur and before Harry knew it the nuns were shooing them all out so they could clean up.

While the other kids left to go play, Harry decided to finish his chores early. He wanted to read his mother's diary as soon as possible and considering the size of the book, it would take a long time.

It took three hours for Harry to finish his chores. They weren't exactly difficult. It was easy work for the eight-year-old to sweep that room, dust those shelves and wash those plates. _But then again he'd started doing chores since he was four.._

" Hey! Hey newbie! Wanna play football? We're missing a player over here, " shouted a blonde kid. He looked to be a little bit older than Harry. Harry furrowed his brows. He had never played football before. Besides, he still had to read his mother's journal.

" I've never played before, you sure you want me?" Harry asked warily. Blondie looked horrified.

" You've never played football? No wonder you're so pale newbie! Don't worry, we've got Jack here with us today, " reassured Blondie while pointing at a tall, tanned kid. _Ah, yes. Standard athlete kid. _

" Jack's simply brilliant at crash courses. We can do warm-ups until you're ready. If not you can always play goalie, " the blond boy shrugged, before putting an arm over his shoulder and steering him over to Jack.

Harry let himself be lead away and promised himself that he would read the diary later. Besides, it wasn't like it was going anywhere.

" My name's David by the way. " So blondie's name was David. It fitted him.

" I'm Harry. I know the general rules of the game but I've never actually tried it. "

" S'fine. Jack can still help you practice a bit pre-game. As I said, he's a brilliant teacher." And with that, he was introduced to the team and given to Jack.

Surprisingly, David wasn't exaggerating about Jack's skills. Jack was patient, and unlike David, he hadn't looked nearly as horrified when Harry told him he had never played before. Jack showed him a few moves and they practised until he finally declared Harry ready to play.

* * *

Harry had never understood why some people seemed to live and breathe sports. But now, now _everything seemed so much clearer._ There was something had made him feel lighter when scoring a goal, the adrenaline rush he got flowing through him when playing. He wasn't football crazy like David but he understood why people got so wrapped into it. He wasn't amazing at it like Ben, a tall, gangly boy who could shoot an apple of his head using only a soccer ball and his amazingly talented foot, but he was good enough to be invited to play again.

He spent the rest of the day alternating between playing soccer with David and his friends and spending time with other kids his age.

That night, he fell asleep with the diary the furthest thing from his mind since the Dursleys.

* * *

Harry hummed pleasantly as he walked down the streets of the busy town centre. The overwhelming heat did nothing to dampen his mood as he proceeded to waltz his way downtown straight out of a cartoon. It was currently as sunny as could be with not a single cloud in sight.

It was, in short, the perfect weather for ice cream.

Feeling emboldened, Harry decided that it would be okay for him to spend a small amount of his safety money on some ice cream. Things were going wonderfully in Saint Margaret's and he was sure he wouldn't need it anytime soon.

Moments later, he was leaving the ice cream shop with a chocolate ice cream in his hand.

If he was being completely honest, today was a great—or even, dare he say, perfect—day. It was shocking how one's circumstances could completely change in a week but Harry wasn't complaining.

He was just about to take a bite out of his ice cream when he felt his shoulder collide with someone's torso. He barely managed to stop his ice cream from falling flat the pavement below them, wincing slightly at the ache in his shoulder.

" Sorry—, " He started, when the words died in his throat. For there, looking down at him, was the smiling face of Kaia.

" Oh, Harry, you really thought I wouldn't come looking for you? "

Her honey brown eyes had a special glint to them and she wrapped a heavy arm around his shoulder. " Now act natural, " she warned and Harry seized up immediately as he was lead through various twists and turns through the back alleys of shops.

He gulped, eyes glancing around nervously when he realized he was well out of sight from passersby. He wasn't quite sure what would the tree lady would to him if he screamed but he definitely didn't want to find out.

Instead, he pulled himself free from her grip and shoved his hand in his pocket.

" Stop! " He cried as he brandished the iron fork he got with him at all times, just in case she found him. " I have a fork! "

Kaia gave him a very deadpan, unimpressed look. " A fork? "

" It's made out of iron! "

" Put that down before you hurt yourself! " She snapped. " I'm not a bloody fey. I'm a dryad, and I'm not here to hurt you, Harry Potter. "

He swung the fork, but she caught it in her palm and threw it on the ground. It landed with a dull clang and she took his hand in hers. " Come on, we still have a long way to go. "

Seeing his apprehension, she sighed, " I swear on my life, I come in peace. "

Harry glanced her over suspiciously. He still had half a mind to run away but he knew that vows weren't given away freely. They meant something special to magical folk.

So he relaxed slightly, allowing her to lead him through twists and turns. He remembered passing under an archway somehow, only for the grey to give way to green and soon they were standing in central park, standing in front of a large tree.

" How did we get here?! "

" Magic. Now come on, " She said, gesturing for him to follow her as a huge rabbit hole appeared at the base of the tree trunk.

" Do you trust me? " She asked, her dark skin shining in the sun.

" No. "

" Well then, too bad. "

She shoved him forward, and Harry fell into the rabbit hole with her laugh echoing behind him.

* * *

Harry had felt a sharp tug in the middle of his navel as he continued his way down, down, down. The pitch black darkness made it even worse, Harry couldn't even see where the tunnel began and where he ended. But he could feel. He could sometimes feel the rough, earthy texture of the walls around him.

It was like the world's worst water slide.

The hole wasn't exactly a hole. At least Harry didn't think it was. Sometimes, there would be a turn in one corner and a twist in another. It was mostly a drop, but there were enough twists and turns to make Harry's head dizzy.

Somewhere between Turn No.13 and Twist No. 29, Harry felt their speed decrease from heart-stoppingly fast to only gut-wrenchingly fast.

It was a small improvement, as some would say, but an improvement nonetheless.

Eventually, the pace slowed to the point where it was comparable to sliding down a very, very long slide. If Harry squinted, he could almost see a twinge of light. _How is it, _Harry wondered, _that you could fall underground, but reach the surface while still falling? _The light got stronger, gradually increasing to the point the tunnel was bathed in sunlight.

Before Harry knew it, the world went topsy-turvy as he fell out of another rabbit hole._ What the f—How was that possible_?

He had fallen down a huge, deep hole. The key word in that sentence being _down. _And he had continued to fall _down. _It made absolutely no _sense. _If you fall down on you go down. Down. Not up, _never _up.

_Mental Note: Gravity does not apply when it comes to magical rabbit holes. _

A polite cough stirred him out of his thoughts. Looking up from his still seated position on the ground, Harry saw Kaia standing in front of him, with an amused expression on her face. But that didn't bother him. What bothered him was that she didn't have a _single hair out of place. _Meanwhile, Harry was splayed out on the ground, his hair bearing such a resemblance to a rat's nest that he wouldn't be surprised if one had sowmhow managed to make a home there on his way down.

" Did you enjoy the ride? " asked Kaia.

" I loved it, " Harry said sarcastically. He would never go down that thing _ever _again. She'd have to tie him up before she even got him _near _that damn hole. Speaking of that damn hole...

" What is that thing anyway? I don't think it's a magical rabbit hole, by any chance. " Harry asked her. If it was a magical rabbit hole, would that make him Alice?

_Well, it did look like they were in Wonderland_. They were standing in a large clearing, at the foot of.. You guessed it, another huge tree. Flowers lined cobblestone paths through the clearing. In the centre, there lay a charming little cottage, complete with a small garden and shed. To the left there were a couple of benches and giant toadstools. Literally. There was a small pond surrounded by wooden beaches and stools that looked like giant the amount of fauna and flora in this clearing, it looked like the perfect fairytale setting.

" That, young elemental, was a wormhole. It's like a permanent method of travel that you could eventually learn to use, " She said slowly, seeing that Harry was still adjusting to the change of scenery. Harry scoffed inwardly, he promised himself that he would _never_ be so desperate to have to use _that_ to travel. He would rather walk if he had to.

" It's not as favoured as other methods but it comes in handy from time to time. " She offered Harry a helping hand, not offended when he ignored it in favour of helping himself up.

" Let's go inside, you seem tired, " seeing Harry opening his mouth to refuse, say that he was fine, she interrupted him. " We can talk over a cup of tea. "

Shaking her head as she walked to her cottage, she frowned as she thought of the boy's stubbornness to accept magic.

Most children his age would jump at the chance to be told they were wizards, and yet this boy refused accept it.

He even had the _audacity_ to liken her to a bloody _fey._

* * *

Harry looked so small sitting on her sofa, and Kaia felt the need to keep him safe surge in her chest.

She had considered Lily Evans as her daughter in all but blood, after all.

" Here, " She said, handing him a cup of tea. She had laced it with small amounts Calming Draught, just enough to help him clear his head and organise his thoughts.

She smiled lightly in amusement when she noticed that the boy refused to drink, or eat any of the things she gave him. " I am not a fey, Harry Potter. "

" I never told you my name. "

" I knew your mother. " She said simply, leaning back into the chair opposite him and taking a cookie from the platter on the coffee table.

His eyes narrowed. " Prove it. "

Kaia sighed, before getting up and walking to the bookshelf, before pulling out a thick, large photo.

She lay it on the table, watching Harry with curious eyes as the boy opened it and swallowed when he saw his photos of a smiling girl with bright, flaming hair—his mother— splayed out on the pages.

" You were her teacher? " He asked. Kaia nodded, smiling when the boy looked at her apologetically.

" Sorry. I thought you were a bad fairy or like, an evil elf. "

Kaia waved her hand dismissively. " It's fine. No harm no foul. Although, if you ever liken me to a fey again, Harry Potter, I will hang you upside down from your ankles and beat you with a stick. " She threatened but her eyes sparkled.

Harry gave her a weak smile, but when she offered him another cookie, he took it with only a small smidge of hesitance.

" You're mother was my student, but we were very close. When she died, it felt like I had lost a daughter, " Kaia told him, her eyes burning into his until he looked away. " I've spent a long time looking for you, Harry Potter. "

Harry kept his head down, only daring to send small, occasional glances back at her. Kaia was looking at him like he was the answer to all of her prayers—like he was a walking treasure, and Harry didn't know what to say.

" You have your mother's eyes. " She said with a bright smile, and Harry gave her one if his own. " You remind me of her a lot. "

Harry raised his head this time and looked her in the eyes. He smiled, still small but much stronger.

No wonder she looked at him like that. Harry was a placebo, a fall-back option since the first was unavailable. Kaia looked at him and she saw his mother standing in front her, nothing more.

He felt disappointed, but weirdly steady. Kaia would see that he wasn't his mother and she would move on. It wouldn't last. She'd leave him and he'd be on his own again. Sooner or later, she'd see what the Dursleys saw.

Harry just wondered how long it would take.

* * *

Author's note:

**[EDITED 11/6/20]**


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. If I did, I wouldn't be using an iPhone 5 to type this disclaimer out. Tbh idk why i'm typing this y'all probably won't even see it. If you do, however, good for you you're an observant little shite F in the chat for you my dude. 

* * *

Kaia was so _different_ from anyone else Harry had met before.

She was stern, but in a more chiding way. She was could be charity, smiling at Harry like he was a ray of sunshine, before she suddenly took a complete flip and looked down on him with sad, big brown eyes. It was a constant switch and Harry found it difficult to keep up with her.

" You know, I actually liked Petunia once. " Harry felt himself do double-take. _No one_ liked Petunia, not Mrs Figg, not the ladies she met for Tea every Thursday, not the pastor—no one. It was sad (well, not really) but true. " She was dreamer. She and Lily played all kinds of make-believe games. Lily liked astronauts and science, and Petunia adored myths and fairytales—Don't give me that look, it's true. "

" I think it killed her, when Lily got magic. When she became the protagonist in every book Petunia loved while Petunia herself was a background character. "

Harry tried to believe her, he really did but god it was hard to imagine shrewd, bitter Petunia as a wide-eyed hopeful girl.

She almost sounded _sweet_ and his aunt just wasn't—_couldn't_ be that person.

Harry's eyes widened. The diary! He'd completely forgotten about it.

" I think my mum had a diary! I had it but I left it back at the Orphanage. " He said apologetically. " I'm sorry. I could go get it and give it to you—"

" You should keep it. Lily wrote a lot of things in that diary, it would be nice if you could get to know her a bit." Kaia said, her smile sad and her eyes melancholic.

Harry frowned. That was weird. She wants the diary, he can tell from the longing in her eyes.

So why wasn't she taking it?

He shrugged the thought away. " I'll read it, " he promised her, and this time he was only a bit thrown off when she gave him a dazzling smile.

" Bring it over here next time. We can read it together. " She leaned closer, her hand moving to set on his shoulder but Harry flinched away before he could help it. Kaia paused, her eyes clouded and Harry hoped he didn't ruin things so quickly.

" It's getting dark, you should be going back soon. " Kaia stood up and walked over to her bookshelf.

Harry closed his eyes. Of course he messed it up— He knew it would come eventually, but this was fast. Resignation took over him, and he was filled with a sad sort of calm.

" Harry, I want you to have this. " Harry ripped his eyes open. " It's a Portkey, " she explained, walking towards him holding an American penny in her open palm. " It'll bring you hear instantly, you just have to say the magic word. "

" What's the magic word? "

" Kaia. " Harry fought the urge to laugh. He wasn't sure what he expected—maybe an abracadabra, or some rapid Latin chanting—but "Kaia" definitely not it. It was originally and plain and weirdly simple activation code.

" Come by every Friday. We can start our lessons then, " She beamed and Harry couldn't help but feel relieved.

Looks like he hadn't messed up after all.

* * *

The next days flew by, an unusual occurrence for Harry, who was used to them dragging sluggish, comprised of one chore and the next.

Harry had always thought that his world was Privet Drive, Surrey, but not anymore. His days weren't filled with _get up, wash this, clean that. _Instead, he was socializing_. _He had _friends. _The last time Harry had had friends was on the first day of school, and they had all been driven away the next day.

So the next few days flew by fast, with the exception of Harry getting scolded by Sister Julie, the eldest nun in the orphanage—which seemed to show in her temper—for almost missing super and staying out too late. It had seemed like _forever_ before Sister Julie decided that he had enough and let him go.

Harry had spent the next few days like a normal kid, well as normal as an orphan could be. He met up with kids his age, excluding Micheal, who would for some reason always have an excuse to check up on him at least twice a day, and his soccer pals, who continued to invite him for games. Maybe it was too soon to tell but Harry didn't think he had made any life-long friends, because this was still an orphanage. Eventually they would split ways, but for now, Harry was content with what he had.

However, no matter how good life at the orphanage was, there were still a few bad apples mixed in. One particularly bad apple that caught Harry's attention, not by choice, mind you, was a tall, gangly boy named Gabriel. Gabriel reminded Harry of someone who held himself in a _holier than thou _manner. Despite being skinny and tall and overall the exact opposite of Dudley in terms of physical appearances, Gabriel seemed to be Dudley in another body. The reason for that being simple. Just like Dudley, Gabriel had nice things, things most orphans wouldn't have the pleasure of owning. ( Rumours said that Gabriel came from a rich family who continued to send him money as a way to apologise for giving him up) And just like Dudley, Gabriel thought that having nice things out himself above those who didn't, and felt that he should bully those "below" him and flaunt on everyone. ( Gabriel had gotten a couple of things stolen on many occasions, but you didn't hear that from Harry)

For some reason, Gabriel seemed insistent on picking on Harry. Picking not being the right word to describe it. Although he was unpleasant to everyone, Gabriel seemed to have a special dislike for Harry. While he would always boast, and occasionally mock others, he seemed to take it to another level with Harry, even going as far as to try and trip the younger boy whenever he walked past. Not a minute went by that Gabriel didn't taunt Harry in one way or another. Harry didn't really care for him, to be honest. He was nothing compared to Dudley and his gang. Besides, most of the time Harry didn't even need to say anything, an older kid or even one of the braver kids his age would defend him before he could even open his mouth.

One thing that had never changed was that Harry still leads a busy life. Or he was busy during those five days at least. He had gone to the doctor with Sister Julie and Sister Marie to give him a more detailed checkup, he was a special case, or so he was told. When he got back his results he made to eat twice his usual servants and go to the optomitest-something to get his eyes checked. Sister Julie's eyes looked a little misty after exchanging a few words with the doctor but Harry didn't pay much attention to that. What did catch his attention was that he would be getting new glasses? _New glasses. _For him! Not just any glasses that Vernon had found in the drug store, but ones that were made especially for him. The thought of having something specially made for him filled Harry's chest with a strange, warm, jittery feeling. Looks like the doctor was right, he did need to eat more food.

The next day was rushed. Sister Marie had been tasked with taking him out for some basic necessities, like clothes and a toothbrush, when they saw the state his own were in. Harry had been allowed to get five new shirts and three pairs of shorts (there was a bargain at the department store) and even a new pair of shoes! By the time they were done Harry had been giddy with the thought of having so much new stuff, as well as concerned if he was spending too much money. His concerns were apparently unnecessary and were brushed off with a small huff from Sister Juie.

" Shush child this is the standard amount we get for every new orphan, not just you, " said Sister Julie, fishing in her wallet for the right amount of coins. They had finished shopping and were now in the midst of paying for their items. " Besides they were on a bargain, I couldn't let a good deal go to waste, now could I? " Not waiting for Harry's answer she continued to fish about in her wallet, her eyes squinting occasionally. " Now shush and let your poor old Sister Julie concentrate on finding those coins." So Harry did, and he spent the rest of their time ignoring the same strange feeling in his chest.

The next few days were relatively calm compared to the previous ones. Harry decided to spend it getting used to his surroundings, mainly Saint Margaret's and the small chapel nearby where they attended mass every Sunday.

In his explorings, Harry managed to find a small greenhouse hidden behind the orphanage. The greenhouse was small, barely as big as Petunia's garden. But it wasn't an easy find. The greenhouse was hidden from view of any windows, so it would be difficult for anyone to accidentally stumble upon him. _Maybe I could use this to practice some magic? _Harry felt light goosebumps run over the back of his neck. He still wasn't used to saying that word. He knew it was real, how could he not with everything that had happened, but he found it difficult to believe that it was happening to _him_ of all people. _It's like winning a lottery or getting a perfect score on a test, you know it's possible but you fond it hard to believe that its happening you specifically. _

When Harry wasn't exploring or playing with his newfound friends or doing chores, which wasn't very often, he could be found in his room, reading his mother's diary. Well not really her diary, he was more of reading the notes she had jotted down at the back of the book. They were so different from her daily entries. Her entries seemed too...filtered. Her writing was too neat, there were no crossed out words or sudden changes in her thoughts and feelings. Like she had already thought of what she wanted to write and what she wanted to keep hidden before writing. But in the messy scrawl of her jotted down thoughts, Harry found himself seeing the small, hidden sides of his mother. He discovered her curiosity in how she would write down questions and cross them out once she had found the answer, her feelings in how she would doodle from boredom, and even her hurt in how there would be sad faces sprawled on the corners of the pages and an occasional smudge in her writing from her tears.

Harry knew that he was seeing the many different sides of his mother that she kept some reason, the thought comforted him, as if knowing about the hidden sides of Lily Evans made up for never knowing her in the first place.

Maybe, in a small way, it did.

Harry put the book aside, placing it back inside his trunk at the end of his bed. Lily Evans would have to wait, because now it was time for something else. Something entirely different. It was time for his first lesson.

* * *

**Meanwhile at Hogwarts**

Albus Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, his old, tired fingers unwrapping a lemon drop before popping it into his mouth.

_Many people labelled Albus Dumbledore as a genius, a hero._

_Albus Dumbledore: Defeater of Dark Lord, Gellert Grindlewald _

_Albus Dumbledore: Discoverer of the Twelve Uses of Dragon Blood_

He closed his eyes, a soft such escaping him, barely heard over the banter of the paintings; all previous headmasters' of Hogwarts. He gave out another sigh, this one more annoyed, more like a groan than a sigh.

_Some people said he was a disappointment, a betrayer_

_" You could have joined me, Albus. You could've been great... We would've been great together, just think of what we've already done and what more we could accomplish together!" _

_" Take care of her for me, Albus, please take care of her. " _

_" Albus what did you do!"_

_" Don't you understand, Albus? She's dead. She's dead and its all your fault! " _

_" You're choosing the wrong side" _

He rested his head on his chakra, massaging his temples in a futile attempt to think, to just think, he needed to _think. _

_Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore: The Leader of The Light_

He couldn't think _dammit. _While he was grateful for the advice the paintings gave, they just wouldn't shut up.

When other people were in his office, they would all snap shut, eager to hear some news, _any news_, that might help alleviate their boredom.

But as soon as they were alone, just him and the paintings, _it _started as if _it _had never stopped. Maybe he could bypass the rule and choose not to have his own painting hung up when he died?

_The Son_

_"_ —Cauldron Cakes are by far the best bloody dessert to ever exist you miserable half twit! " Shouted Armando Dippet, to Bernard Crimple.

" Cauldron Cakes? As the best dessert? Blimey, no wonder the Dark Lord happened while you were Headmaster! Tell me, were you always this stupid while you were alive or did you just slowly start to lose your common sense? " Screamed Bernard Crimple back.

" Me? Stupid? Says the one who was Headmaster for three months before being assassinated! " Armando guffawed.

Albus sighed. It was one of _those_ days again.

" Three months and _five days! _Why does _no one_ remember the five days?! " Albus did _not_ bang his head on his table and he definitely did _not _let out a long, suffering whine. Instead, he made a low, masculine noise to express his annoyance.

" Well maybe because you—" Was it considered murder to burn a couple to sentient paintings, Albus wondered. Where was he again? Ah yes, the schools budget. Pomona wanted new mandrake seeds, Snape wanted new potion ingredients—the usual.

_The Brother _

" Albus! Albus, it's Harry. It's Harry Potter! " The portrait of Arabella Figg on his desk screamed, her voice thrilled from panic. The room was silenced, their audience watching quietly from behind their frames.

" What happened to Harry? " Album asked quietly. His muscle tensed as his mind raced. _Blood wards, they can't get in, there's no way it's impossible. _

The air became heavy, small knick-knacks collected over the years began to vibrate in their shelves. The walls seemed to stretch, looming over him like a shadow.

" I- I don't know—I'm not sure, he was there but then he wasn't, I haven't seen him all week, I—"

They started to float, barely touching the shelves while spinning erratically, _left right, up down. _

Albus stood up, his relaxed state now a thing of the past. The large oak chair fell, a dull _bang _on the carpeted floor. He grabbed the small photo on his desk, his knuckles turning white as he clutched the plain brown frame.

" Arabella, calm down! " he said loudly at the painting. While he usually used letters to communicate with her, they had both agreed to rely on paintings if they ever needed a faster way to relay any news. " What happened, Arabella? "

_The Friend, The Lover_

_" _He's gone. Harry Potter is missing." The chair slowly stood back up, as if it had never fallen in the first place. Albus Dumbledore sat back down, slowly putting his head on his hands.

He took a deep breath, _in and out. _The floating knick-knacks slowed, before dropping back on the shelf

_Harry Potter. Missing. _Albus needed to think. The paintings all left their frames, reading into the dire situation. Albus was left alone in his office. _Quiet, but not peaceful. _

_This couldn't reach outside of Hogwarts. _The public would call for his removal, because how could he lose _Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived? _

They would call for his head, and all his plans his preparations would topple over like a house of cards, leaving him alone in the rubble.

But a small part of him couldn't help but feel glad. Glad that Harry had gone missing because maybe, _just maybe, _there was a chance that he could find a new life. A better life than the one he had planned for him.

Because the life that Albus had never planned for Harry wasn't an easy one, neither was it a good one. Not for him at least. Albus would be happy if somehow, Harry managed to build a life for himself amongst the cards he had thrown at him, but it would be a rocky road from start to finish. The life Albus had planned for Harry wasn't a good one for him. But it was for the good of the wizarding world.

It was for the Greater Good.

So maybe it wasn't so surprising when for him to be glad that Harry had a chance.

It was just a pity that Albus had to do everything in his power that Harry followed his planned path.

Because that was just his responsibility.

_Maybe Albus Dumbledore was all of these things, maybe he was none. _

_But one thing was clear. He was Albus Dumbledore, but to different people he was different things. It depended on who you asked. Sometimes people just saw things in different ways. It was usually when he was alone, or when he was in the few that he trusted enough, that he allowed his mask to fall. He wasn't the light lord, the hero. He was just Albus. Just Albus. Those were the moments when he felt free. So why? Why did he, alone in the safety of his empty office, feel the weight of God's hand on his shoulder, telling to him that this was, in one way or another, al his fault?_

_Authors Note: _

**[2/5/20] this is the last chapter than needs to be updated, very minor changes in this chapter and everything should be the same from here on out.**

**[Final edit: 11/6/20]**

**^^ahaha this is a lie because I am for some reason never satisfied and weirdly motivated to write?. **


	8. Chapter 8

Harry James Potter, ex-resident of Privet Drive No.4, son of Lily Evans and the newest student of Kaia, was currently very, _very_ frustrated.

They were sitting in the middle of Kaia's clearing. He was sitting cross-legged under the sun, while Kaia leaned back against a tree, shaded comfortably from the sun.

Meditating—or rather, his inability to— was a complete pain in the arse. Harry wouldn't say he was a genius, but he knew he was smart. He was fast learner, partly out of necessity and partly because he liked learning, so it was mortifying to fail at meditating over and over again.

It was supposed to be _simple._ You sit down, relax and focus. Three easy tasks.

So why couldn't he do it?

He gritted his teeth. He was getting so riled up over meditating, it was ridiculous. He took a deep breath. Getting agitated would make only make things worse.

He tried to relax, shifting around until he was comfortable to try again. He closed his eyes and breathed, trying to pay attention to the lub dub sound of his heart. He focussed on it, only for the cheery chirping of the birds diverting his attention.

Harry groaned. One would think that spending a huge chunk of your time stuck in a dark cupboard with nothing to would make meditation easier for Harry. If anything it was harder. He was used to letting his imagination run wild, distracting him from the darkness, the complete and absolute _boredom_ of having nothing to do but sit down and wait.

" You need to relax. " An amused voice called out and Harry barely stopped himself from snapping at her.

" I'm _trying, _it's just so..annoying. " Kaia only looked at him, analysing him in a way that made Harry want to curl up and hide behind a tree.

" Come on, " She gestured for him to get up before walking to the small picnic table that wasn't far from where they were. Harry scrambled after her, ignoring the slight tingling of pins and needles in his right foot.

" We should move on from meditation for a while. There's so much time and so little to teach you. " She lectured, leaning down to set a picnic basket on the table, only it was filled with books instead of food.

Harry frowned. " Shouldn't we just move on from it all together then? " Meditating, to be honest, seemed unnecessary. It wasn't even a magical skill, lots of muggles could do it. Shouldn't they move on to the more important things? Like the earth bending, or the spells—the cool stuff.

" Meditation increases your concentration and focus. Magic like Occlumency rely on meditation, and the early you start meditating, the better it will be for you. " She said, fixing a pair of stern brown eyes on him. " Besides, too much magic isn't good for your body. It's still developing, conducting too much magic at such a young age could hinder its development. "

She sighed, pushing her hair behind her ears as she lifted a few books out of the basket and laid them out on the table. " But I think you've had enough of meditating today so we should focus on other topics— "

" It's fine. " Harry interrupted her. Kaia's brow furrowed.

" What do you mean? "

Harry stood up, determination scrawled all over his face. " I don't mind meditating. We should try to finish it as soon as possible. "

Kaia paused, her lips pressed into a thin line before she relaxed and a small smile took over. " If your sure. "

They headed back to their spot and Harry settled down with a small sigh.

He could feel Kaia looking at him like _that_. He didn't like it. It felt unfair, that she was looking for Lily in him, when there wasn't any to find.

Kaia would figure that out eventually. Harry didn't want a lot of things in his life but he wanted magic. He wanted learn as much of it as possible; to know as much as he could before Kaia eventually moved on.

But first he had to control it.

If meditating would help him to that, then fine.

Bring it on.

* * *

Harry had never, _ever_, felt so tired before. He knew what tired was. He knew the numbness that exhaustion brought.

But this was different. His muscles ached but physically he was fine. Mentally however, Harey felt like he needed three days of sleep.

He barely managed to get back to the orphanage in time for him to have a quick shower before dinner. Micheal had questioned him nonstop, but he seemed to let it go after a while. Not completely, but enough for him to let Harry what without Michsak breathing down his neck. Harry felt bad about having to lie but he knew it was necessary. Micheal couldn't know._ No one could know. _

Not yet, at least.

Maybe one day, when he was sure that he could trust them, that they wouldn't get mad when they found out. Or worse, act like how the Dursleys had.

Dinner was, as usual, loud. Not out of the ordinary for the orphanage with twenty hyperactive kids. Most people would find it impossible to doze off in that situation. But Harry was not most people.

In fact, David, who was sitting beside him, had to constantly shake him awake.

" I've never met someone so tired after visiting a _library, _Harry." David mentioned after the fifth time he had to stop Harry from falling face-first into his mushroom soup. _That _had kept Harry awake for the rest of dinner.

Although maybe he wasn't as awake as he thought he was. Gabriel was starting to get frustrated by the lack of response he was getting. Harry couldn't find it in him to care. He couldn't even muster an eye roll, Gabriel could go annoy someone else tonight.

Dinner had never seemed longer for Harry. It seemed like _forever_ when he was finally allowed to go to bed. Making sure to practice meditating once more, with little success, Harry was finally able to sleep.

And somewhere in his mind, it noticed that he was able to silence his thoughts just a little.

Who knew, maybe it was just the sleep talking.

* * *

Harry had a problem. A huge one. One that could lead to the end of the world as he knew it. Or maybe he was just exaggerating.

The problem started out simple. David and Micheal.

Don't get him wrong, Harry found them to be great friends, fun-loving and supportive. Most of the time, at least.

This was not one of those times.

Although they weren't the best of friends, it seemed like they had united together, with the common goal of figuring out where he was last night. They were from two different cliques and had very different personalities; Micheal being more quiet and responsible, but still fun, while David was loud and outgoing, responsibility not being high up on his list. But now they could be seen always within a short distance of each other, always whispering behind closed doors. While he appreciated and was just a little but touched by their concern, it was getting annoying.

Harry could feel Micheals's eye's on him during chores, and David was always around him when Micheal couldn't be.

They were actually pretty good together. That didn't bode well for Harry, though.

He couldn't go to to the library or _anywhere else _without _at least one of them_ tagging along. Sometimes even both. Harry couldn't even hide in his room to meditate, one of them would come knocking five minutes after he closed the door.

Their company wasn't always bad, constraining as it was. Harry just felt like... a third wheel around them. Especially when they were in town. Harry knew they didn't do it on purpose; one minute they were all talking and laughing, then Harry would be walking awkwardly behind them as they giggled to each other. Sometimes they would noticed, sometimes they made it all the way back to the orphanage, David and Micheal whispering excitedly to each other while Harry trailed awkwardly behind them.

Harry preferred it when they didn't notice.

Because it got much more awkward when they did. First they would jump away from each other, neither noticing that they were close enough to brush arms as they walked past. Then they would flush simultaneously, their cheeks red enough that they looked sunburnt. One of them, usually Micheal, would start talking to Harry about random things, asking questions that always caught him off-guard before rapidly switching topics (From the last three days, Harry now knew enough random facts to fill up a book.)

It would've been funny if it wasn't so frequent. Or if it didn't s happen every single time he was with them.

Harry knew he had to get them off his back. He just didn't know how. His next lesson with Kaia was in two days. Try as he might, Harry had absolutely _no idea _how to get two hormonal teenagers off his back and onto one of theirs.

Then an idea struck him. _The greenhouse. _It might work. It might not. But he didn't have a better plan. It would take two days to pull off. _Exactly before the lessons. _Never let it be said that Harry Potter didn't know how to get what he wanted.

* * *

_Stealth Mode: Activate, _Harry thought as he stalked the aisles—it was something he heard from one of Dudley's video games— trying to avoid the gazes of Micheal and David.

Not that he needed to.

Micheal and David were uncharacteristically unobservant. Micheal, who had mostly grown up in orphanages, seemed to have a radar for trouble makers. David could notice every move you made, a skill honed from playing soccer. However the only thing their focus was on, was well...each other. Harry thought they would at least notice him leave.

They didn't.

And he had been gone for ten minutes _at least._

Harry should feel offended, but it did help him sneak around.

So he would forgive them.

This time.

Glancing to his left, Harry saw them standing exactly how he left them, right in front of the fruit section, laughing loudly at their _fantastic_ sense of humour. In fact, David had doubled over from laughing, one hand clutching his stomach, and the other hanging onto Micheal's shoulder for support.

Harry shook his head. Honestly, why was he even friends with those two.

_Wait a minute._

_Oh no_.

David had his _hand_ on _Michael's shoulder_.

Any minute now and one of them would notice how close they were...and notice him missing. He didn't have a lot of time left.

Grabbing the last bunch of seeds he needed, he headed over to them. Just in time, too. Micheal had noticed and grown stiff, David closely following him and removed his hand from Micheal's hand, both blushing wildly.

" Hey... Where's Harry?" Micheal asked, looking around for him, his face not losing any of it's redness.

" I'm right here," Harry said calmly from behind them. Instead of being shocked by his sudden reappearance, Micheal seemed relieved, however Harry could make out David's eyes narrowing slightly.

That wasn't good.

" I've been here this entire time. I even got the rest of the stuff." He exclaimed as if annoyed by their lack of attention(which he was), holding the shopping basket up high enough for them to see into it. " Maybe you would've noticed if you weren't so busy..." He didn't say it out loud, but he knew the _with each other_ was heard by the both of them.

As if in queue, they both blushed even more ferociously, especially David.

_That _was good. It seemed like his plan worked. David had lost the small amount of suspicion in his eyes, instead they were filled with embarrassment and...something else Harry couldn't read.

Oh well, it was probably better for him.

As they checked out, Harry was glad to note that they were two busy ignoring each other to notice the extra items he had slipped into the basket, which was hidden from view by the other groceries.

_Step 1: Complete. _And with plenty of time to spare too. Now that the hard part was over, he could take things slower, though Harry as he walked back to the orphanage.

A loud laugh caught his attention, followed by several snorts. He didn't even have to turn around to know who it was from. He groaned, the sound drowned out by the series of laughter echoing behind him.

Scratch that. He might have to speed this whole thing up.

God help them if he spent another day like _this._

With that in his mind, Harry made sure to complete his chores extra early, biding his time for the right moment. The time when both David and Micheal would be far away long enough for him to finish the job.

He was talking to the other kids his age, there weren't a lot of kids in the orphanage but there were enough his age that no one would notice if he left for a short while, when the time came for him to strike. First it had been Micheal who left, excusing himself to do some revision. Then it was David's turn, who left a short while after to play some soccer with some kids outside the orphanage. One by one, when they had both left him in peace, Harry allowed himself a small smirk which he made sure no one would notice, before slipping off to find Sister Gwen.

Sister Gwen could usually be found with Mrs Peters. For a nun, she was great at administer-something work. Harry didn't think the orphanage would be half as organised without her. That also meant that she was in charge of the rooms—who slept at what room, and which room would be used for what. So if Harry wanted to talk to someone about the greenhouse, she would be the right person to talk to.

He was panting by the time he reached the office, having ran as fast as he could to get there. He probably had ten minutes until Micheal came back, if he took any longer than that...well then he dreaded of what would come.

Harry was overjoyed when he spotted Sister Gwen holding a small stack of papers, her short stature marking her out from the rest of the nuns, even the short ones.

" Sister Gwen! " He shouted after her as she was turning around, almost walking out of the office. Upon hearing his voice, she immediately turning around, a wide smile on her face when she laid eyes on him.

" Hello Harry, " she greeted him fondly, walking towards him.

" Guess what Sister Gwen?" Harry exclaimed, making sure to talk with the same excitable energy some if the children his age had, like Dudley with a new toy. Without waiting for her reply, " I found a greenhouse Sister Gwen! The biggest green house I've ever seen before!" he said excitedly, stretching his arms as much as he could.

" I was wondering when someone would find that old thing, " she murmured under her breath. Harry ignored that. Sometimes, he found that some of the older nuns would mutter stuff to themselves. It was best to ignore it, unless if course you wanted an hour long story on their childhood. " Now what is it about that old greenhouse that's got you so excited, Harry? " She asked him curiously.

" My teacher told us about it, " he answered, which was technically true. His teacher had mentioned it in a passing manner, and Harry had taken the time to find out more about in during his recess. Seeing her nod her head absentmindedly, he continued," I was wondering if you would let me grow some plants in it, " he told her, inwardly grinning when her eyes focused on him. He finally had her full attention.

" Look! I even got some seeds!" Holding up two packets of seeds, he held them up to her. _Cherry Tomato _and _Small Chilis_. Two easy plants that anyone could do, it wasn't difficult for an eight-year-old to grow. Of course, he had been helping Petunia in the garden since he was six, but they didn't know that.

" Where did you learn how to garden Harry?" asked Sister Gwen, her tone mildly curious but Harry knew she was slightly worried. He also knew that his...circumstances had been shared with all the nuns. He didn't like the fact that many people knew but it did come in handy once in a while. Like now.

" I helped my aunt with the garden a lot, " he said, looking down at his feet and wringing his hands, making sure his voice lost its excited tone. There. That wasn't a lie. With quick glance up, he let a small smile cross his face for just a split second when he saw her eyes soften. _It wouldn't be long now_. " Please Sister Gwen, can I grow some plants. We can eat all of these, so it won't be a waste." Harry widened his eyes and tilted his head.

" Of course it wouldn't be a waste! " Exclaimed Sister Gwen, as if the very idea offended her. " If you're sure you can then I don't see the problem with letting you grow a few plants, " She said, offering him an encouraging smile. _Step Two is now complete._

Harry heard a few footsteps echoed down the hall. _Micheal. Right on time, too._

" If you need any help don't be afraid to ask for some, and who knows, if your plants are good enough we might even let you grow some more!" Harry smiled widely, this time not having to hide it. He knew sucking up to the nuns would prove useful someday. Thanking her loudly enough to catch Micheal's attention, Harry turned face to face with him.

" Micheal! " Skipping towards him, Harry threw his arms around the older boy, who was caught off-balance by the unexpected display of affection. Harry knew he had never done that before so it would definitely throw him off guard.

" I found the perfect place to grow a few plants last week and Sister Gwen said that it would be alright fit me to grow a few tomatoes there too!" he babbled loudly, this time the excited tone in his voice real. Seeing the spark in Micheal's eyes as he connected Harry's "disappearance" to the green house, Harry knew he had succeeded. Good. He was starting to get tired from acting so cheerful. He didn't know how other kids did it.

His plan had definitely worked, by dinner time neither David nor Micheal were hanging around him every minute.

_Finally._

If only meditating was as easy as this.

* * *

Auhthors Note: 

**[Edited 11/6/29] ** Hi guys so as you might be able to tell, I added some abandonment issues! Cause who Doesnt love those? The main idea was to make the dursleys abuse less physical and mental and I thought that should affect Harry more deeply than I originally portrayed him. Anyway hope you like the edit :)


	9. Chapter 9

Authors Note:

Hello my dear readers I'm bringing you this authors note to explain the time frame!

Basically, the story starts in the middle of summer break for Harry, so it starts in the middle of the 2 month break in between 31 July to 1st September. So Harry just turned 8 a month ago. So by the time he gets dropped off at the orphanage, it's around 3 weeks before school starts.

That's all for now and enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Harry Potter was glad to note that after his little stunt, Micheal and David were happy to let him go off on his own. Of course, they were even happier to have some alone time of their own, but Harry didn't want to look into that.

At the start of the lesson, they had done more meditation, in which he was surprised to note that his late might meditating sessions had actually paid off. While he still wasn't able to fully slip into a trance-like state, he could feel himself edging closer to it. However it was always chased away by thoughts of how hot it was, or why it never rained wherever they were. It had yet to rain during one of his lessons. Harry didn't know if this was a blessing or a curse though, because even in the shade he could feel sweat rolling down his back.

"Thats enough for now, " she said as she moved to sit on one of the nearby benches.

He opened his eyes before flopping on his back to lie down on the grass, his stiff joints cracking gratefully as he stretched his limbs.

Although he wasn't doing too badly in meditating, in fact, according to Kaia he was progressing faster than she expected him to, he found it incredibly frustrating, always chasing after that calm focus and never reaching it.

He sighed tiredly as a cool breeze swept through the field, comforting him in a gentle hug. He hoped the break wouldn't be as short as the last time Kaia had allowed him to rest. He swore up and down it had only been three minutes at most before he was made to try and meditate once more.

The dryad had only ignored his protests, saying it only felt so short because he was tired. Harry scoffed.

" Harry. "

Harry looked up to see Kaia gesturing at him to sit beside her. _This was new_, he thought as he moved to sit beside the dryad.

Looks like this break wasn't going to be so short after all.

" We need to talk about your lessons. " Harry's head, which was previously resting on the cool metal of the bench, perked up at hearing that.

" You're moving quite fast with your meditation, " she began, giving him a slight tilt of her head in acknowledgement. " So I've decided to advance your theory and history lessons." Harry was _very_ interested in this. And a little disappointed that they wouldn't be doing any practical lessons, but he understood why. He mentally cringed as be was reminded of the effects of using too much magic too young.

What got his interest rising the most wasn't the promise of doing things other than meditating, although that was part of it he was more interested with what they could do with all that extra time. After all, he would now one step closer to practical lessons.

" What kind of theory and history?" he asked curiously. Other than how elemental magic worked, he didn't see what else there was to learn.

" Many kinds. However you'll mainly be learning about the different elementals, how their magic worked as well as the history of elementals, " answered Kaia, clearly delighted by his curiosity.

" When are we starting?" he asked excitedly._ Magical creatures? _His mind raced with all the possibilities: unicorns, fairies, and _dragons. _

" Right now." Kaia grinned, getting up and offering him her hand. " Let's go inside, I have some books you'll need. "

Harry barely gave her hand a glance before holding it tightly, as if she might pull away. Smiling widely up at her, which was no easy feat with the dryad's tall height, he allowed her to guide him to in the direction of her cottage.

And there they were, a tall, elegant dryad clutching the hand of a small, dark-haired child as they walked through a field hidden from view, magical or not, in the forests of Norway.

What an odd pair they made.

* * *

He sat down on a table, surrounded by piles and piles of thick, brown books. There were a few more spread out in front of him, their pages filled with moving illustrations of various elementals: a wind elemental guiding a tornado, a fire elemental surrounded by flames, and a water elemental raising a wave from the sea.

" Do you remember what I told you about elementals and how they came to be?" Kaia asked him. She was sitting beside him, another book sitting on her lap as she looked at him.

He nodded, " Because of their family magics right? "

Kaia shook her head. " It's so much more than that. " She shifted the books, moving some back as she brought one forward, pointing at the water elemental. " Your family magics is dependent on the connection that the founder of the ability had with magic. Different connections produce different magics. This is the same for elementals, " she paused for a short moment, making sure he understood.

" A family who uses their magic for controlling the movement of water in it's liquid state for, let's say, fishing, and develops the innate ability to do just that are known as water elementals. But a family who is able to control ice are also known as water elementals. Why is that?" _She was testing him, _Harry realised.

" Because ice is just another form of water. " He said, unsure of his answer. He let out a sigh of relief when Kaia nodded, smiling softly.

" Correct, " she praised, " Eventually, through time and diligence, their family magic would have evolved to the point where they would be able to control water in all states. It's the same for earth elementals. Your family specialised in using magic for agriculture: growing plants and making sure the soil was right. Hence you're especially sensitive to plants and the earth. However the Longbottom family, their quite young into the elemental community, having only developed the ability six generations ago with it skipping three, they specialise in plants. They have green thumbs, and are immune to most toxins found in plants. " She explained, flipping the pages to show Harry drawings and pictures of earth elementals growing plants and causing small, mini earthquakes.

" You should be able to be able to start elemental magic on your ninth birthday, " she said absentmindedly as she walked around the table, picking up certain books and shrinking them down before packing them into a small bag.

_His_ _ninth birthday?... That was a year from now,_ Harry thought in horror.

" But only after you've completed meditation, and a couple other skills I've planned for you. " Harry groaned, letting his head fall into the table, only to glare at Kaia when the thump was muffled by a pillow that had been quickly placed by a sneaky vein she had directed. He glared at her in mock annoyance, a distraction to hide how amazed he was at her use of magic.

Since they'd mostly been doing meditation, Kaia hadn't been using her magic a lot. But when she did, well, it _fascinated_ Harry.

" But in the mean time, here," Kaia said, handing Harry the bag, smiling as he slowly lifted his head from the pillow.

" If I can only learn elemental magic next year, " Harry asked as he opened the bag and began to look through the shrunken books. " Then when can I learn normal magic? The wizardy kind, the one with the wands and stuff? "

" Maybe when you're ten. "

Harry dropped the book he was holding, barely managing to catch it midair.

" That's in two years! " He exclaimed in shock. " Why can I learn elemental magic in a year but wizard magic in _two? _"

" Ah, that brings us to our next topic. How our magic works, " Kaia said, ever the teacher. She held a plate of cookies in her hand, nudging them towards him with a small glare.

" Because of your connection towards elemental magic, it is easier for your body to conduct it. After all the reason why you can't practice it now is because your body isn't developed enough to handle the strain of using magic regularly. It's easier for you to use elemental magic, and much less straining than wizard magic. " Kaia picked up a cookie for herself, occasionally tossing one to a big cat that lay at her feet. Animals liked her, a lot. Harry would occasionally find her with one animal, only for it to disappear and turn up again, snuggled against her, a few days later. Kaia never payed it any mind, so neither did he. It was probably a dryad thing anyway.

" From now on, " She added, " This will be our routine. Practical lessons, followed by history and theory, and maybe a short break in between," she said almost absentmindedly, about to continue with the lesson. Kaia didn't expect Harry, who was curled up over one of the books in front of him, to reply.

" Promise? "

" Of course. "

* * *

For the first time since Harry had started his lessons, he was pressed for time to return to the orphanage. In fact, he was able to take a leisurely stroll to the sweet shop to get himself a celebratory lollipop.

Why? Well, it was all because of the shiny, American dollar coin he now kept safely in his pocket. Don't get him wrong, Harry Potter didn't snitch...well maybe he did but it was for a good cause! He had _jokingly _told Kaia about the struggle it was to make it back in time. She had just taken it a _little_ too seriously.

Who was he kidding, he'd practically whined about it to her for a solid half an hour.

_" I almost forgot! " She exclaimed, interrupting him in the middle of his very interesting story. " Here you go, I was supposed to give it to you earlier but it must've slipped my mind. " She handed him a shiny, German coin. " It's another Portkey, but more...special. " _

_" Special how? " _

_" It's touch-activated rather than speech. Simply tap the head three times, and it'll bring you right back. " she explained. _

_" Why only this one? Wouldn't it be better for both of them to be like this? " Harry asked curiously. _

_Kaia turned around, such that he couldn't see her face at all, and reached for the pitcher of lemonade with one hand, and grab his glass with another._

_" I ran out of words. " _

_Harry opened his mouth, only to close it when Kaia shoved his now full glass of lemonade into his hand. _

_" Drink your lemonade, " she said, daring him to say something. _

_Harry opened his mouth. _

_And took a big gulp of lemonade. _

Harry savoured his lollipop, allowing the sweetness to drive away the taste of lemonade from his mouth. His green eyes took in the sights and sounds of London; the people as they walked hurriedly to wherever they were going as the clip-clopping of their shoes echoed throughout the sidewalk, occasionally muffled by the honk of a car or two.

Then he was interrupted by a very familiar voice, and a rush of footsteps towards him.

" Harry! "

He turned around to see Micheal and David running towards them, both with matching, silly grins on their faces.

" What're you doing here? " David asked him, as Micheal bend over slightly with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

" I was on my way back from the library, " He said easily, a smile coming onto his face as so as he saw the pair.

" We were just heading back, " said David, who had now caught his breath. " Care to join us? "

" Sure. " Harry replied, shrugging as he joined them on their way back.

This time it wasn't too bad, they included them in most of their conversations, except for the occasional _inside _joke they threw at each other.

" Hey, Harry, " Micheal asked, as they neared to the orphanage. " Are you excited? "

" For what? " There wasn't anything to be excited for, as far as he could remember.

" For next week, " Micheal said, frowning at Harry slightly. David, seeing the confusion on Harry's face, kindly piped out, " It's the first day of school next week. "

Harry stopped dead in his tracks.

_He'd forgotten about that._

* * *

Authors Note:

I hope this adequately explained elemental magic. We'll be going more deeply into it later but for now, this is enough. Harry's school life won't play a big part in his early years, as I originally planned it to, but they will be mentioned, just to see how he's doing in school. I'm aware of how slow this fix is going (to me at least), Harry was originally supposed to reach Hogwarts at Chapter 20 but that's stupid so we're gonna speed this up. Maybe after a few more chapters i'll add a bonus chapter dedicated to his pre-Hogwarts times more.

I hope you liked this chapter and thank you so much for all the reviews, follows, and favourites :)


	10. Chapter 10

Harry Potter was by no means a normal kid. But, like most kids, he absolutely _hated _school.

He didn't hate school itself, in fact, Harry enjoyed learning about things he found interesting. It wasn't the school he hated.

It was the people.

Harry hated the bullies, he hated the teachers who never noticed the thing just as much as he hated the teachers who noticed _everything_ and did _nothing. _But what Harry hated more than ever was having to play dumb. He hated having to fail all his tests or starting at teachers blankly even when they asked him the simplest of questions.

People who believed the Dursleys found all those things to be proof; proof that they were right, he was just some stupid juvenile. And Harry _hated_ that.

But now, now things would be different. The school he was going to was far away from his old one. There was no way anyone would recognise him there. Even at the orphanage, he had yet to see someone from his old school. This was his chance for a fresh start, and gods be damned if he let it slip away.

When school came, Harry made sure to be the perfect student. He was nice, smart but most importantly, he made sure he wasn't too perfect.

People didn't like it when others were perfect. So Harry made sure he slipped up. He answered some questions wrong, made mistakes.

By the time Friday came, Harry had managed to cultivate a consistent, if not slightly delicate image. To those who knew him, he was the nice, smart and shy kid.

And Harry _loved_ it. He liked being able to walk without having to be on alert. He liked having people to sit lunch with. He liked being a normal kid.

He liked _pretending_ he was normal.

Reality came swinging in next week when he was excused from Art class for a visit to the School Councillor.

* * *

" How are you, Harry? How's school so far? " The School Councillor, Mr Brown asked him as he leaned in from across his small, brown coffee table.

" I'm fine. " Harry already had his game plan ready for action. Keep answers short, don't talk about his old life, be polite and get out as soon as possible. It would be fine.

" A new school can be a bit scary, is it very different from your old school? " _Don't talk about your old home._

_" _Not really, sir. "

Harry could tell that after fifteen minutes of his short and plain answers, Mr Brown was getting frustrated.

" Do you like school? "

" Yes, sir. I think school's fun. " This was true, after all. In fact, none of the things Harry had said were technically lies.

" Hmm, your teachers all say you're a good student, always paying attention, and quite smart too. " Mr Brown commented, looking through a blue folder.

Before Harry could reply, he suddenly looked up from the folder, his eyes starting down into Harry's. " Do you know why you're here, Harry? "

" Because of my past, sir. "

" Social Services investigated quite a bit. They managed to find your school records. " Harry felt the air leave his lungs.

" Your old teachers' remarks are quite different. ' Unwilling to cooperate', ' slow learner'. These are the exact opposite of what your teachers tell me. " Mr Brown dropped the file down on the table carelessly, choosing to give Harry his full attention. " Why don't you start being honest with me, Harry, and we can figure this out together? " He suggested, gesturing to the folder with a wave of his hand.

Harry gulped, he was in trouble. They couldn't know find out about the Dursleys. The Dursleus wouldn't hesitate to tell them all about his 'freakishness' and then—

Then Harry started thinking. And then they would start investigating. They'd find out about everything. The cupboard, _everything._

Including his 'freakishness'.

If things went the how he hoped they would, Petunia and Vernon would end up in jail for a very long time.

" I'm sorry sir. " Harry said softly, his head hung low. " I didn't want anyone to get in trouble. " He looked Mr Brown right in the she's before ducking his head. " I lied to the Social Service people, I'm sorry, " He added apologetically. " Please don't be mad. " He could feel Mr. Brown's gaze soften.

" I'm not mad. " He said softly. " Why don't I just call them over right now, and you can tell them everything, okay? "

Harry hid his grin behind the cup of water Mr Brown had given him.

* * *

Getting the Dursleys arrested was easier than he thought it would be. He had the medical records from his check-up that showed his injuries. Social Services investigated his neighbourhood and managed to find a few people who would talk, and even a few teachers from school came up to serve as witness.

To say that they were mad when Vernon's promotion was cancelled because of the investigation would be an understatement.

The cherry on top, however, came when the Dursleys were arrested, both Petunia and Dursley shouting abuse at him as they were dragged away. The word 'freak' came up thrice in the first sentence.

Judging by the looks the police gave them, Harry was confident that they wouldn't be getting away free.

In the end, with more people than he thought would come serving as witnesses, the cupboard, and his medical records as evidence against them, both of them were sentenced to ten years in jail.

And that wasn't even the best part.

The best part was how this had all happened within three weeks since Harry's first counselling session. While the teachers knew, they made sure to keep in all hush hush, so as not to 'cause him unnecessary stress'. Their words not his.

But it did work out in his favour in the end. No one—excluding teachers of course—knew.

A few more counselling sessions with Mr Brown and he'd he'd be just another kid.

Harry couldn't wait.

* * *

He took a deep breath, letting the fresh air enter his lungs.

Wherever Kaia lived, there didn't seem to be any buildings or factories anywhere. There was only the meadow, and whatever forest lay beyond it. The air here was different, crisper and fresher.

Kaia, for some reason, refused to tell him where he was, his question always being met with the same small smile before she moved on to another topic. The same thing happened when he asked her how she got the Portkeys, dryads couldn't do that kind of magic.

" A friend. " Was all she said.

Their relationship was rocky. Kaia tried to get close to him, and Harry couldn't help but try to push her away. He couldn't shake the feeling that she'd leave him. And he didn't want to have to pick up the pieces when she left. Still, they made it work, and Hadry kindly ignored the paranoid whispers in the darkest corners of his mind.

Kaia's meadow had been Harry's reprieve from the whole Dursley situation. Compared to his normal life, life with Kaia was sedentary and relaxing, their time spent meditating or on lessons about magical creatures and elementals.

Mr Brown was worried that the court case would make him stressed, even going as far as to ask if he need a day off or too, but it seemed to have the opposite effect.

The court case did nothing but loosen up his nerves, something about watching Petunia and Vernon getting hauled away made his shoulders sink in. He even managed to properly meditate a week ago.

" Harry, " Kaia said, her gentle voice lifting him up from his trance.

" Now that you can manage meditation, " She started as she sat across him." I think it's time for something new. " Kaia reached beside her to hand him a large and very thick book, his hands almost collapsing at the unexpected weight.

" Welcome to Occlumency, " Kaia smirked.

* * *

Occlumency was, surprisingly, enjoyable. Maybe it had something to do with his meditation skills finally being decent or his over-active imagination, but Harry found himself enjoying it.

According to Kaia's 'Guide to Occlumency for Dummies' (Harry was rightly offended at the title) aka The Huge, Heavy Book That Only Has Half The Pages Filled In (don't ask, apparently it would "reveal itself in time") the first step to Occlumency was to meditate. The second step, however, was where it got interesting. You had to visualise your mind. According to the book, it was different for everyone. Some people visualised a garden, or a farm. Others had libraries, one person even had a palace. But Harry had a maze. A great big maze, where the only thing you could see was the sky and grass that seemed to look over you and not animal around.

The third step was figure out your mind, and expand it. Put up defences, hide the memories, the thoughts and feelings and bury them deep where Legilimens wouldn't be able to reach them.

Harry hadn't reached that step yet, and was busy figuring out his maze. Occasionally he'd find a stray thought or memory. Occlumency was time-consuming, and it took up most of his time with Kaia.

In fact, he wasn't just busy with Kaia, he was busy in school too. He, much to David's chagrin and Micheal's glee, had taken up Micheal's habit of doing his homework and studying, to which David would shake his head in fake anger.

When he wasn't studying or having lessons with Kaia, he was playing soccer with David, or playing with other kid's his age. Of course the latter didn't happen nearly as often as the rest but even Harry saw the value in having friends his own age.

Sometimes, when he was having his lessons with Kaia, or at school, or even brushing his teeth, he would wonder if there was anyone he knew who was a wizard too, or maybe even an elemental.

Maybe it would be Sam, the shy kid who say in the back, who was even more antisocial than Harry, or Emily, the girl whose green beans had sprouted even earlier than his own.

Harry would wonder if there was someone who was just like him, hiding in plain sight.

* * *

It hit him when he was trying his shoes before breakfast; it's his birthday. He, Harry Potter, had just turned nine.

It was surreal. His birthdays always went the same way; wake up, do chores, watch Dudley flounce around and remind him that it was his birthday, get a shitty present from the Dursleys. Well, maybe not always. He didn't get a present most of the time.

But it was more than just that. Harry was instantly reminded of his cupboard, his life before the orphanage. It was surreal that a year ago he was still living with the Dursleys, and now he was in an orphanage, and they were locked up in jail.

The stark differences made him smile all the way to breakfast. David took a step back when he saw Harry sitting at breakfast, smiling widely while eating his oatmeal.

" Hey, Harry, what's got you smiling so much? " he asked tentatively." You never smile this much before breakfast. " Harry grinned.

" Hello, Harry, Happy Birthday dear! " Swooped in Sister Julie, placing a neon blue cupcake with a small candle on top infront of him before he could say anything.

" Thank you, Sister! " Harry smiled, although cupcakes were a birthday tradition at St. Margaret's, he was stilled touched that they remembered.

" Its fine, dear. It's not everyday a young man turns 9, now is it? " She said, giving him a pat on the head.

" It's your birthday? " David gaped. " And you never told me? Harry, I'm hurt. "

Harry shrugged, pushing his bowl of oatmeal aside for the cupcake. He found that he rather liked sweets, or rather sweet anything. Cupcakes, which were practically bursting with sweetness, quickly became one of his favourites.

" Happy Birthday Harry! " Greeted David, as he slid into the seat beside him. This was followed by a loud chorus of ' Happy Birthdays' as kids surrounded his table.

" Make a wish! " A younger kid prompted, grinning eagerly at him. Her grin seemed to be infectious, and soon the everyone, including him, was wearing matching smiles.

He leaned over and not even a second later smoke wafted from the candle, as cheering echoed around him.

David clapped a hand on his back. " Are you sure you're 9 though? You look like you're 7. " His cheeky smile vanished, replaced by a grimace when Micheal elbowed him.

" He's less skinny now at least, " Micheal comforted. " Don't worry Harry, you'll grow someday. "

" All right, you can celebrate later. It's time for school get your bags, the bus will be here soon. " Sister Marie announced, nudging kids back to their seats.

_So this is why people like birthdays, _Harry thought he took a bite out of his cupcake.

* * *

Turns out, the day was far from over. Several people greeted him at school, and a a few friends even gave him small presents. David gave him a small bag of his favourite chocolate, while Micheal gave him homemade brownies, which were quickly finished. Micheal may look like a nerd, but he was a great baker, brownies being his speciality.

Soon it was time for his lessons with Kaia. Harry excused himself, hiding in his room before taking out the Portkey. As soon as he reached her meadow, he found himself engulfed in Kaia's arms.

Slowly, he placed his arms around her, hesitantly hugging her back.

" Happy Birthday Harry! " She exclaimed, stepping back to hand him a large, wrapped box. _A present_, he realised a moment later.

Harry smiled at her, before turning her attention to the box. It looked like the classic present, golden wrapping topped by a big, red bow. Harry wondered if maybe it was a book, or a plant. What did dryads give as gifts anyway?

Carefully tearing of the wrapping, he found another, smaller package in it. He opened the package, wrapped tightly is brown parchment paper was a snow globe.

Harry gave Kaia a questioning glance before looking at the snow globe closer, examining it. There was a red-haired lady and a brown-haired man wearing glasses, each holding the hand of a smiling toddler, all of them walking merrily on the sidewalk as snow fell lightly around them.

Harry felt his throat go dry. " Are those—are those my parents? "

Kaia nodded. Harry stared at the snow globe, trying to memories every single feature, seeing if maybe, just maybe he could remember some part of his parents. He felt his eyes widen when they began to move, the lady—Lily, his mum, turn around to face him, waving shyly at him.

" It's magic. " Kaia explained softly, her eyes glued to the show globe just like his own. " Harry...I have something important to tell you. "

He forced himself to look away, her urgent tone grabbing his attention.

" Do you know how you're parents died? Did your Aunt and Uncle ever tell you? "

Harry shook his head. " Petunia said that they died in a card crash, but that's not it, right? "

Kaia looked at him, her eyes fierce with anger. " James and Lily _did not_ die in a car crash. Harry, your parents loved you, " she said. " They loved you so much. There was a wizard, Voldemort. He was a Dark Lord, he did terrible things, and he was after your family. James and Lily did their best to hide, but somehow he found them, " She bent down to his eye level. " They did everything they could to protect you Harry, and they succeeded. "

" Just say it, " Harry said, his voice barely louder than a whisper. " They died for me, didn't they? "

Kaia's silence confirmed it, and soon he found himself in another hug.

" I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I wanted to wait until you were old enough. "

_" _It's okay, " he said, rubbing his eyes. Then his back straightened, and he looked up with Kaia with cold, determined eyes. " It's a lovely gift, but I can't keep it. "

Kaia frowned. " Of course you can. It's yours—"

Harry made a frustrated sound. " But—you don't understand. I _can't_ keep it. " Kaia took a step towards him, only for Harry to take a step back, holding the snowglobe up as a barrier between them. " It's too much."

" It isn't. " Kaia said, looking genuinely upset for the first time since Harry's met her. " You deserve it. You deserve to know your parents— "

" If I wasn't her son, you probably wouldn't have even spared me a second glance. " Everything rushed out of Harry faster he could help it. " You look for Lily every time you look at me and it's honestly it's _sad. _It's _sad and pathetic _because she's _dead_ and I'm all you've got. "

Harry paled as soon as the words left his mouth. The hand that wasn't holding the snow flew to his mouth and he looked at Kaia with wide eyes.

" I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that! " Panic swirled in his stomach and Harry had to clutch the snowglobe with both hands to stop it from sliding out of his sweaty grip.

He felt _sick. _Why did he say that, Kaia probably hated him now—

He was wrenched into a warm embrace.

" I'm sorry. " Kaia said into his hair, gripping him tightly in case he tried to run away. " You just reminded me of her so much. I'm sorry I ever left you with Petunia and her awful family. "

Kaia pulled back slightly, a fierce look on her face. " I won't leave you Harry Potter. We're family now, alright? Me and you, we'll stick together from now on. "

Harry could only nod, a bit limp from the shock. Kaia was miraculously still here. She hadn't left.

And he hadn't pushed her away.

Harry looked at her, still hugging him close in spite of the large snowglobe which was probably digging into her stomach, and he couldn't fathom why he ever tried to push her away in the first place.

* * *

Harry flipped the pages of the Occlumency book that Kaia had given him. Turns out, _The Huge Heavy Book That Only Has Half Its Pages Filled In _wasn't actually incomplete.

He had finally gone through and mapped out his mindscape, a feat that took three whole weeks, and looked through the book to find it the next step only to discover the very full, and not empty pages.

The book, it seemed, was attuned to your mindscape. It's previously empty pages now showed his maze, every single trap door, hidden passageway, or moving wall he had found so far included.

" The mind is a complicated thing, " Kaia explained. " Always shifting, ever-changing. It can be hard to keep track of everything. This book is linked to you specifically, it updated itself whenever you discover something new, or if you purposely change anything. It's linked to you, and only you can see it. "

" How did you get this? " Harry interrupted. " How did you get the Portkeys, and all the other stuff?" Portkeys were made from wizard magic, and Kaia, like most magical creatures, couldn't access wizarding magic.

A centaur would never be able to do spells, just as a wizard, unless they were a seer, would never be as good as divination as a centaur wouldn. Different species had different forms of magic, that was just how the world worked.

The corner of her mouth quirked up." A friend. "

" Will I ever get to meet this friend? " Harry asked curiously. Asides from Kaia, he had never met another magical anything.

" Maybe, " Kaia said with a thoughtful look on her face. " Are you doing anything important after this? "

" No, not really. "

Kaia went back into her cottage and came out holding a picnic basket.

" Would you like to meet him now? " She asked, holding out the handle of the basket for him to hold.

A small hand reached out and grabbed the basket, clenching it tightly.

" Peaches. " She called out, and soon they were standing outside an old house, its stone walls looking worn down.

" Where are we? " The house looked ordinary enough, even if a but old. It blended in well amongst the other house in the street. Harry wondered if this really was a wizard's house.

" Paris, " Kaia answered as she raised her hand, knocking on the wooden door.

The door opened, revealing an old man. Harry supposed he wasn't quite as old as his Principal._ Maybe in his late fifties? _

" Kaia, " The man greeted, smiling fondly at the dryad. " It's good to see you. "

The dryad smiled in return, moving forward to give him the basket of peaches. " Here you go, I know how much Perenelle loves these. "

" Thank you. " Leaning forward to take the basket, the man's eyes noticed Harry's small figure, half-hidden from sight by Kaia.

" And you, must be Harry Potter, " He said warmly, bending down to shake Harry's hand. " I'm Nicolas Flamel, it's truly a pleasure to meet Kaia's newest student. "

* * *

Authors Note: 

Guess who's back, back again. ITS ME. I'm alive guys, alive and very, very sorry. Inspo for this fic is pretty hard to come by (Inspiration in general is lacking) and I'm super sorry for the long wait. It is, however, my holidays right now so I will try to publish more frequently.

•Plus some notes on my portrayal of Nicolas Flamel. Although he's never been seen on screen in the Harry Potter movie series, he did appear in the Crimes Of Grindlewald, where he's portrayed to be a very very frail old man whose fingers almost broke from shaking Jacob's hand. I was planning to make him canon but since it didn't work I decided not to. Instead he's like a normal old person, just secretly 665 years old.

• Time skip: So in this chapter there's a time skip of one year. Harry is, just to be super duper clear, 9 years old.

• The snow globe that Kaia gave Harry is like a version of a photo. Lily, James, and toddler Harry are there in the snow globe, which also features their house in Godrics Hollow. Like a painting they can move around, and sometimes they will leave the snow globe. Basically, instead of a painting it's a snow globe that's literally the only change other than that it's the same concept with the same properties and characteristics. Everything's just three dimensional now.

• My chapter titles are literally so random I don't even know why that's the title. I feel bad I put like minimal effort into my chapter titles. Should i continue doing chapter titles or should i just do ' chapter 1' stuff?

**[Edited 11/6/20] holy trick guys someone actually read that last bit there where I asked if I should do chapter titles. Like wow, people read my authors note. I should probably try to be less awkward and more professional in them then ;-; **


	11. Chapter 11

Nicolas Flamel was exactly what he expected Kaia's wizard friend would look like.

His appearance was that of the classic wise, old wizard character in every fairytale. Only he didn't seem that old. Harry had originally guessed late fifties, but maybe older considering his head full of white hair that barely reached his shoulders. Then there was his clothes, which weren't exactly the wizard robes that harry expected, that looked didn't exactly look like the normal muggle clothing he was used to but was quite similar to it.

The living room, or what Harry supposed was the living room, seemed normal enough, excluding for the paintings that seemed to follow him when he walked— he meant this literally. Out of the corner of his eye he could see a small farmer boy lean over to the scarecrow who shared his painting and whisper secretively—and the dainty white tea set that floated in the air as it poured tea into two cups which promptly soared over to Kaia and him.

As the teacup landed gently into his hand, Harry noticed a small blue pattern of a mouse, a cat and a dog, chasing each other around the cup like a merry go round, neither of the animals getting any closer to one another.

" Oh, I'm sorry, Mr Potter, " The man- Nicolas Flamel, he reminded himself- said suddenly. "Do you drink tea? Would you like something else? We have freshly squeezed orange juice in the kitchen. My wife, Perenelle, made it just this morning. "

" Tea's fine, sir, " Harry assured him.

" Well then, please head out to the patio, " he smiled, gesturing to the glass doors on Harry's right. " I'll just go get Perenelle and we'll join you shortly."

The patio consisted of rattan chairs and a couch surrounding a glass table in the centre. It was connected to what seemed to be a garden of sorts, a diversity of flora and fauna surrounding them.

Harry could feel the it. The _buzz._ The same buzz he felt the first time he met Kaia, but it got louder, more constant ever since he turned nine. It was like a heartbeat. Always present, but ignorable. _Elementals always are more sensitive to magic, Earth and Water especially,_ he recalled Kaia saying. The Flamel's garden, however, wasn't just a heartbeat. Everything was louder, more concentrated, more _potent_.

A blur of something white caught his eye and he turned his head to follow the motion. Harry found himself walking to the centre of the garden where a small fountain lay. The fountain wasn't in good shape- Harry wasn't even sure if it could be called a fountain. There wasn't any water flowing through it: the two smaller tiers of the fountain was empty and the basin contained a pitiful amount of water (he was sure it couldn't be more than half a cup). The faint marble patterns on the fountain were disrupted by the cracks that ran everywhere. The edges of the fountain were slightly chipped, but it was the small silver figure of a small girl at the top of a fountain that was the most damaged. Or at least Harry assumed that it was silver. The girl was brown with rust, but if he squinted, Harry imagined that he could see a slight sheen of silver in between the large patches of brown.

The girls head moved to look at him, as if feeling his gaze, before turning completely to face him, a shy smile on her face. _Can she even have feelings? _Harry wondered. Seeing his hesitant smile, she winked, her shyness now gone, before waving goodbye and turning back around.

" It's stronger here, isn't it? " Kaia said, moving to stand beside him, brushing her left hand against the fountain. Harry nodded in agreement, the buzz was.._distracting._ It was in the air, in the grass, in the little fountain girl, and he couldn't help but get caught up in it.

" It's the magic, " Kaia pointed out, " You're not used to being around this much magic, so it's a bit disorienting." _Disorienting was one word for it. _Harry felt _high. _Or at least what he imagined being high would feel like. It was like he was drugged up on all the magic.

" Kaia, I've missed you. " A voice cried out. Harry turned to see Mr Flamel walking into the patio with blond woman on his arm. She let go to pull Kaia into a small embrace. " I'm Perenelle, it's lovely to meet you, dear, " she welcomed him, walking closer until she stood infront of him.

" I'm Harry. "

Mrs Flamel looked at him closely.

" You have Dorea's cheekbones, " She hummed appreciatively, leading him to sit on the couch beside her. Harry relaxed into the couch. Despite its appearance, the couch was soft, as if he was sitting on a pillow. " While I didn't know your parents, I did know your grandmother, Dorea," She elaborated. " Though not as well as I would've liked to. "

" What about my grandfather...did you know him? "

" Well, yes, although we knew your grandmother better, we used to be close to her family. " Mr Flamel replied as he sat down across from Harry. " Your grandmother was Dorea Black, and your grandfather's Charlus Potter. "

" If I remember correctly, it was quite a scandal when they got married. " Mrs Flamel continued, passing him a small bowl of biscuits. Harry nodded with interest as he took a bite, his eyes shifting between Mr and Mrs Flamel whenever one of them interrupted the other to talk.

For the longest time, Harry only knew his mother, and then eventually he found out about his father. And now, he knew his grandparents, and a warm feeling in his chest fluttered whenever he thought of what it would be like if they never died. If his parents were alive, if they never got killed.

If things were different.

But then he remembered Kaia, and Micheal, and David, and now the Flamels and he was glad things were the way they were.

* * *

Harry left the Flamels full and happy. Mrs Flamel hadn't let the opportunity go to waste and fed him biscuit after biscuit as she talked. He liked the couple. They were nice and warm, and Harry didn't want to leave. Not yet.

He liked watching them send the other fake glares when they interrupted them talking, he liked how Mr Flamel made sure that Mrs Flamels glass was never empty. He liked watching Mrs Flamek shoot her husband fond smiles when he wasn't looking.

Mr and Mrs Flamel were just so very _domestic_. The Dursleys could never be described as domestic, and no matter how hard the nuns tried, the orphanage could never reach that level of domestic that normal families had. There were just too many kids to spread their attention amongst.

But the Flamels...

" Can I visit again soon? " He couldn't help but ask as he and Kai stood outside their door.

" Of course dear, " Mrs Flamel said without hesitation and Harry felt a warm feeling spread throughout his chest.

The Portkey activated, and Harry smiled at them and shot them one last wave before he was whisked away.

Harry held on to that promise, clutching it tightly to his chest. Sure enough, they visted them again. And again. And again. Then they started coming regularly enough that Mrs Flamel always had a fresh batch of cookies right out of the oven just in time for them.

* * *

With Occlumency out of the way (because yes, Harry had managed to somewhat organise his mind and put up semi proficient defenses in two months), Kaia had finally decided to focus on elemental lessons.

_" Focus, " She reminded him as a thick vine burst from the ground and wrapped across his ankles, pulling them together. " As an earth elemental from your bloodline, you hold dominion over every blade of grass, over the very ground you stand on." _

_More and more vines wrapped around him, squeezing him firmly, but not painfully. _

_" So do it. Take control— " They reached his waist, still creeping upwards, when more vines from the trees surrounded his torso, pulling him upwards. Soon he was completely covered in vines, except for his face, hanging from the branches like a cocoon. " —And stop me. " _

_" I don't get it! " Harry shouted as she turned the cocon upside down with a wave of her hand. " What do you want me to do? " He couldn't just—just shout stop or something. That wouldn't work. _

_Or would it? _

_" Stop! " He yelled, starting intently at the ever moving vines. _

_Nothing happened. _

_Kaia started to swing him around playfully, laughing at the glare he sent her. _

_One by one, she unwrapped him, the vines around his shoulders gently setting him down on the ground before going back wherever they came from. _

_" Maybe we should start from the beginning, " She suggested helpfully. _

Ever since then, Kaia drilled him with practices and lectures. Harry had done them so many times, he was sure he could do them while doing jumping jacks upside down and _on fire._ And Kaia made sure she thought he could too before she let him move on to the next exercise.

After they finished a new exercise, they would always go back to the first one. Kaia would wrap him in vines and Harry would try to fight her control. And every time he would end up hanging upside down.

_" No wizard magic until you're 10, " _Harry remembered Kaia saying.

That was probably why he was so surprised to see Nicolas Flamel sitting down in the middle of Kaia's meadow with a stack of books beside him, a black cauldron in front of him, and several jars and contained of _something and others_ floating in front of him like it was the most natural thing in the world, smiling and telling him he was the late for his first Potions lesson.

* * *

Potions, sadly, did not have anything to do wand-waving and spells. But it did have a lot to do with horned slugs and snake fangs. Stewed and crushed respectively.

Next came Perenelle Flamel, whose lesson was held in Kaia's cottage surrounded by books as she lectured him about various plants and their medicinal uses.

_" Herbology is a useful skill to have, " She tutored. " A single leaf could be the main ingredient to a life-saving potion. Just as a plant could be the cause of your death. Now, " she pointed at a picture of a snake-like, creeper " Devil's Snare is a perfect example of how basic Herbology knowledge could save your life. "_

Perenelle, being an accomplished Occlumens and Legilimens, also took over his Occlumency lessons instead of Kaia. They spent a good amount of time building up and strengthening his defences, meagre as they were, before she decided to test them out. Unexpectedly, in lesser than five minutes Perenelle had his 'semi-proficient' shields broken down.

_" Be creative, " Perenelle said helpfully. " A shield and a couple of booby traps won't be enough to stop a persistent Legilimens. The beauty of Occlumency is that it works in such a way that you have very few restrictions. Right now, I'm only aiming for your current feelings, but other people will be aiming for your memories, your thoughts. "_

Other than his magical studies, the Flamels were surprisingly able when it came to helping him with his muggle studies. Nicolas enjoyed helping him with math, while Perenelle could explain some of the simpler and more basic Science topics to him.

_" Why do you know so much muggle stuff? " Harry had asked Perenelle once. Kaia had told him that the magical world and the muggle world were two very separate circles. The wizarding world didn't know a lot about the muggle world, and vice versa. _

_" Being this old gets boring after a while, " She replied. " Learning new things helps prevent that." Harry looked at them, puzzled._

_" How old are you? " Before she could answer, Nicolas came to sit beside him, setting down a basket of apples on the ground beside him. _

_" 665 years old, " He interrupted, ignoring his wife's glare with ease as he returned it with a wink._

_Harry rolled his eyes. " Sure. It's an old person thing, right? Never ask a woman her age? " He patted Nicolas' arm in fake sympathy. " It's okay Nicolas, I understand. " He got up, whistling merrily as he walked away. _

_Harry felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, he turned around fast enough to see something red sailing through the air, heading straight for him. On instinct, he flung his arms up, the ground in __front of him lurched up as a wall of earth surrounded him._

_Hearing a dull thud, Harry lowered his arms_ _and the wall crumpled back into place. _

_He looked down at the ground. Everything seemed normal, the only signs of early being the faint cracks and lines on the ground where the earth broke off. Not far from him lay an apple, laying inconspicuously on the ground._

_Picking it up, he glared at Nicolas as he put the pieces together. " Did you just throw an apple at me!? " _

_" Of course not. " He defended. " 665 years old, remember? I try not to strain myself too much. " He stretched his arms, looking at Harry innocently._

_Perenelle only rolled her eyes at the two wizards. Honestly, men. Six hundred and sixty five years don't change a thing, deep down they'll always be boys at heart, she thought as she picked up an apple, biting into it contentedly._

* * *

" Hey Kaia, " Harry started, lying on the ground , exhausted after their lessons. " Why are you alone? "

Kaia looked at him questioningly.

" I mean, why do you live alone? Every single book you've given me says the same thing. Dryads aren't usually alone. They shy away from other beings, but they're always with each other, " he elaborated. " You don't have to answer if you don't want to, " he added when no reply came.

Kaia took a deep breath. " Well, you're right. Dryads are very private. We don't mix with other beings, human or otherwise. It's like...a law of ours. Asides from training our elementals, we stay far away from other beings, and even then once training is over and there is nothing left to teach..well we aren't suppose to contact them ever again. "

She looked at Harry, but he felt like he was the farthest thing on her mind. " But your mother, she was in danger-she needed my help. So I broke the law, and was banished as my punishment.

Then they were silent for a long time. Harry, not knowing what to say while Kaia was too busy getting caught up in the past.

Finally, he broke the silence.

" Did you ever regret it? "

" Not even for a second. "

* * *

**Time skip: 1 year (Harry's 10)**

**Current date: September 1st**

* * *

Harry closed his eyes.

Then he opened them, taking in a deep breath before he let out a frustrated groan into his pillow. Brian, his new roommate, slept soundly beside him. It was almost twelve, and everyone was asleep.

Well, almost everyone.

Harry sighed as he turned restlessly. He had a test tomorrow, and he couldn't sleep. Not a Math test or anything like that, school would, after all, only be starting tomorrow. It was a magic test, to put it plainly. Kaia and the Flamels would be testing him on everything he'd learnt, today being the almost one year anniversary since the Flamel's started teaching him.

He sat up in his bed, closing his eyes as he steadied his breathing.

_" You're an elemental. You're especially sensitive to __magic, so this should be easy for you. " Nicolas explained. " Close your eyes, and focus, spread out your magic. Blend it together with the surroundings. " _

_So he closed his eyes and he searched for his magic deep inside him, before spreading it out, feeling it disperse everywhere. _

_Then he felt it come alive. _

_" Now, what do you see? " He heard Nicolas say._

_The buzz formed shapes and colours, and when he opened his eyes suddenly he could see everything. _

_Nicolas and Perenelle were a bright, sparkling silver with hues of gold around the edges. Kaia was a mix of green and brown that swirled together. He looked around to see his own body surrounded by silver, similar to the Flamels, except he had hues of green._

_" What is this? " He asked, amazed as he looked around._

_" This is magic. The colours help show you the magic that an individual has. __ Muggle don't have magic, so they only have grey. Wizards have silver, Dyrads have a combination of green and brown.__ " He pointed out. " For now, you have to focus to see this, but eventually you'll be able to do this with only a thought. "_

Harry opened his eyes, sighing comfortably as he saw the _grey_ that enveloped Brian's sleeping figure. He laid back down in his bed, feeling several other energies just like Brian's down the hall.

For some reason, Harry found using this skill to feel Magic, or the lack thereof, comforted him. It was like a reminder that he wasn't alone. It grounded him. Seeing the colours mix and shift about was relaxing in an odd way.

He closed his eyes, finally ready to fall asleep, when he felt something other than _grey_.

It felt like Nicolas, and Perenelle and even him.

_There was a wizard here, maybe even two._

Harry got up, scurrying to the window as fast as he could without waking Brian. The boy, although generally nice and friendly, couldn't keep a secret for more than thirty-four hours. (He knew, he counted.) He didn't need to be scolded again for being out of bed at this hour.

Harry scanned the window, searching for any flash of _silver_. Outside was pitch black, he could barely make out the blurred outlines of the trees, or even the greenhouse.

At the corner of his eye, Harry saw blurbs of _silver_ walking below him. He craned his neck, trying to see who those _silvers_ belonged to when the figures walked out of his line of sight.

_What would wizards be doing in a muggle orphanage at twelve in the morning? _

Harry doubted they were here to adopt. He ran a hand through his hair, eyeing the door with interest. He gave sleeping Brian a look, before reaching across to grab his jacket, slipped on a pair of crocs and slid out of the room.

_Besides, what was the worst that could happen right?_

* * *

Harry had a plan.

First he would find the wizards, spy on them, and go back to bed and deal with it all in the morning, without getting caught of course. He doubted they meant any harm. Didn't wizards have a Statue of Secrecy or something? He remembered Nicolas mentioning something like that in passing. From what Harry remembered, they couldn't do anything to reveal that they were wizards to muggles.

But that still left him with the question: What were they doing _here_ of all places?

Harry crept down the stairs, mindful of all the creaky wooden steps that were sure to wake Andy, the security guard who was slumped across his table. Making his way to the entrance, he ducked behind a pillar when he saw two cloaked figures enveloped in _silver_standing in front of the office. Harry shook his head, waving the colours away. It took too much of his focus to keep them up, and right now he needed to focus on something else.

They were standing rigidly, the taller figure seeming more stiff. Harry shifted to get a better look, his head peeking out just a bit. They stuck out like a sore thumb, their cloaks adding to the effect. To anyone who just so happened to come upon the scene, it would be painfully obvious that in no way did these two people belong.

Harry stuck his head out some more to catch exactly what it is that they were doing.

Only they weren't doing anything. Harry frowned, a crease forming on his forehead. They were just standing there awkwardly. It was almost like they were—

Harry ducked, hiding his head behind the pillar as he laid his body flat against it when he heard someone's footstep approaching. He watched a tall, gangly figure appear, stopping a few feet away from the wizards.

They pulled down the hood of their cloaks, revealing matching platinum blonde heads.

Harry peeked his head out, his mouth falling open when he noticed the_ three_ matching blonde heads.

" Mother, " The boy—_Gabriel__, _he realised, said sadly, looking at the woman. " Father, " Gabriel, repeated in the same tone.

_It was almost like they were waiting for something. _

But not something, _someone_, he corrected himself.

If those were Gabriel's parents, his _living magical, wand-waving parents,_ then what was Gabriel doing in a _muggle orphanage? _

* * *

**A/N: **So this chapter has a lot of stuff happening and i know it seems a bit rushed but i didn't want, or have the time, to go go through every single detail of his early childhood before he goes to hogwarts. More scenes on his early childhood will be revealed and revisited when the time is right. This is also why i didn't go so in depth with his training scenes (which are the parts that were written in italic in case you didn't notice) and they're written more like small flashbacks rather than in present time. You'll get to know the full extent of his abilities soon, but i feel like it's more fun and interesting to write when you don't know every single thing that he can't and cannot do.

But anyway small summary of the chapter: Harry meets immortal friends of Kaia (not that he believes that they're immortal) they teach him magic stuff. Nicolas teaches potions and energy sensing stuff? (idk i dont have a name for it the names i tried all sound cringey.) while Perenelle teaches herbology and occlumency. Harry finds out about Kaia's past (which i will definitely get more in depth to in future chapters) Harry finds two wizards ( actually a wizards and a witch), investigates and promptly finds out that gabriel is their possible child?

Reviews : These are a little late so sorry but better now than never.

To **geekymom** and **mizzrazz72 **thank you for your unrelenting support ever since the early days of this fic and I'm glad that you like this story.

To my guest reviewer **Paddybee** thank you so much for pointing that out. I definitely meant workmanship but i use autocorrect when writing so sometimes the words don't come out right. Unfortunately i stupidly deleted the document for that chapter and im unable to change it but thanks all the same.

To my other guest reviewer **Me, Myself and I** thank you for your input. I thought long and hard about exactly what it means to be an elemental and while im not really following that line of thinking it did help me put a lot of things into perspective.

To all the other people who reviewed thank you so much for going out of your way to review 3 i read every single one of your reviews when im stuck in a writers block and it always helps to motivate me to write so kudos to all you guys for being so supportive.

That's it for now folks i hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	12. Chapter 12

" Gabriel, " The woman said, smiling. Gabriel ran into her open arms, hugging her tightly.

Harry resisted the urge to rub his eyes. But he did pinch himself in the arm, just to make sure.

Gabriel Matthews did not run. He sulked in the shadows, he brooded and grumbled but in the two years Harry had been in the orphanage he had never seen him _run_.

When Harry first saw Gabriel's mother, she had a sour look on her face. A look of disgust. She was glaring at the Orphanage's walls like every single speck of dirt would disappear if she glared hard enough. Harry wondered if she could do that.

Both of Gabriel's parents had a certain look on their face—the exact same look the rich old geezers who came to the orphanage to donate wore. The same straight backs with their head lifted high, the same prideful expressions, Harry was surprised to see all that completely wiped off the slate when Gabriel appeared—a loving smile replacing disdainful scorn.

Or that was the case for his mother at least.

Harry watched as Gabriel stepped back from his mother's hug to go to his father, only for the man to take a step back, his face blank. He watched as Gabriel's face fell, before it too was carefully concealed with a blank mask.

_This wasn't just a loving family reunion_. Harry could tell it was more than that.

" Gabriel, " The man choked out, giving his son a stiff nod of his head. He pulled out a shiny pocket watch. Harry watched it open with wide eyes. (Did wizards really still use those?) " It's the 1st of September. I wouldn't be wrong to assume that you didn't get the letter?"

Gabriel's head hung slightly. " No—But—"

The man nodded to his wife. " I'm sorry. We came here to say goodbye. " Gabriel leaped forward, seizing his mothers hand.

" No. Just listen to me. I can fix this—"

His mother shook her head, her eyes glassy. " I'm so sorry, Gabriel, but you can't fix _this._" The man rested a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder.

His mother moved closer to Gabriel, Harry could see his knuckles turning white with how tightly he was holding her hand. " I love you but you can't come with us. " She raised her other hand to place it on his cheek. " You don't belong there, darling. You _know _that. "

Her hand went to rest in top of his. " You have to let us go. " She pried his hand open, letting her hand go, before stepping back. " The sooner you do, the easier it will be for you. "

" Someone will come pick you up soon. " She was staring at Gabriel's face, scanning over every detail, not even turning when the man stepped closer to say something that Harry couldn't hear. " We have to go now, " she told him, pulling away when Gabriel took a step forward.

" This is for your own good, " The man reminded. Harry blinked. A crack echoed in the air, and they were gone.

Gabriel's eyes were shiny, and Harry could see his hand—the same one his mother had been holding not more than a minute ago—trembling like a leaf. Gabriel seemed to notice it too, simply covering it with his other hand in an attempt to stop it from shaking. He was staring at the place where his parents were standing just moments ago. He took a deep breath, steeling himself, before walking back up to the dorms.

When the faint echoe of his footsteps receded, Harry leaned against the pillar, letting out the breath he had been holding the entire time.

_What should he do now?_

* * *

Harry sat up on his bed, holding the snowglobe in his hands, absentmindedly tracing the intricate engraved patters on the base of the snowglobe as he watched the white specks of snow fall.

He laid back down in a huff.

It had been a mistake to go down and pry. He slapped a hand on his forehead. _God he was so stupid._ It wasn't any of his business, he should've just stayed in his bed like a good but and gone to sleep.

But no, of course he, Harry bloody Potter, just _had_ to go down and _'investigate'. _

Obviously the decent thing to do would be to turn around and go to bed and forget that this ever happened. But...

But he couldn't get Gabriel's face out of his mind. The whole conversation was stuck in his head, playing over and over like a broken cassette tape.

_Since when was Harry Potter ever decent anyway?_

_Stick to the plan, Potter, _he thought sternly.

He would worry about it tomorrow.

* * *

Notes lay scattered around his desk, his handwriting unusually messy and almost illegible. It was normally neat, or at least neat enough to read easily, but he didn't want anyone but him to be able to read it.

As much as he hated to admit it, Gabriel was a living mystery. He had no close friends and almost nothing was known about his past.

Runours were all Harry had to go on but they would have to be enough. For now, at least.

The only thing confirmed was his full name: Gabriel Matthews, and his age. He was surprisingly only a year older than Harry, although his height made it seem like much more.

Harry spread the notes out on his desk, biting his pencil as he scanned over the words.

Every month, Gabriel would receive a package. Some thought it was filled with gifts from his relatives; a pity present. Most thought it was money. And everyone suspected that it was from his family.

Gabriel wasn't the average orphan; he had expensive things, things you wouldn't be able to buy with the meagre allowance the orphanage gave. He didn't work either.

Honestly, he knew so little about Gabriel—even with all his digging—that it was pitiful. After all, how do you live with someone for two years without even knowing their favourite colour? Or maybe Gabriel as just that good.

Harry didn't know which was worse.

He sighed, thumping his head on the table. He still didn't know whether or not to tell Gabriel. He ran a hand through his hair, annoyed.

Harry looked at his notes, glaring at them. Why did he even care? This was Gabriel. He didn't even like him! He shouldn't be so, Harry shuddered, _obsessed_ about all of this. This, he glared vehemently, was about Gabriel. He did _not _matter.

Besides, Harry had a very _very_ important test to prepare for.

He picked up his notes, gathering them in his arms. He stomped angrily to the trash can, practically slamming the mess of papers into it._ The best thing to do would be to throw this all away and forget about it._

He flung open the door. Walking forward when he collided with something hard. Harry huffed, it better not be David, he wasn't in the mood for a game.

He opened his mouth, ready to tell David or whoever it was to shove off. He looked up, to see a very angry Gabriel sneering down at him and he lost all his words.

Gabriel shoved him inside the room, hard enough that his knee collided with the edge of his bed.

" Heard you've been asking about me, " Gabriel sneered, moving to stand over Harry threateningly. " Look, Potter, I'm not in the mood to deal with this today so just keep out of my business and I'll leave you be. "

" I know. " It was times like this that Harry seriously hated his mouth and the way it ran without him thinking.

" What? "

" I know, " He repeated. " I know everything. I saw you last night and—"

" You know _nothing, _Harry Potter, " he cut him off. " Someone like you couldn't possibly know anything about this. "

" Someone like me? " Harry inquired.

" Oh don't play dumb, Potter, " Gabriel said, crossing his arms over his chest. He turned around and closed the door behind him. " A wizard— _The_ wizard. The great and powerful Boy-Who-Lived. "

Harry frowned. Kaia had explained this to him, he didn't think it was fair that everyone thought it was him, when really it was his mother who saved them. " What's your point? I saw your parents. I saw them do magic. Don't be a hypocrite, _Matthews_, " he tutted mockingly, " You're a wiz—"

Gabriel laughed humorlessly. " I thought you said you knew everything? " Harry could see his hands shaking, but he didn't know if it was from anger or—" I'm not a wizard. "

His eyes widened in shock for just a second, before he shook his surprise off with a bat of an eyelash.

" So? " He asked. " I don't care about that. " Gabriel stared at him dumbfounded. " It's just—I don't get it. Your parents are clearly alive. They care about you—they give you care packages, they visit you. So why? Why are you here, Gabriel, in a _muggle_ _orphanage_? "

" I'm—I'm a Squib, okay? " He choked out the word. " I don't have magic. I don't belong there, I belong here, with the Muggles, with people like _me. _It's for my own good. " He repeated his father's words, but Harry could tell that he didn't believe them.

" No, you don't. You should be with your parents. Not here, " he gestured around the room.

" Yeah, well that doesn't matter anymore, " Gabriel said bitterly. " They aren't coming back. I'm stuck here. " He sat on Brian's bed, his head hanging.

Harry sat down beside him. " Now what are you gonna do? "

" I might as well make the best of it. I won't be another name taken out of the family tree. " He said determinedly. " I won't let them forget about me. "

Just this once, Harry found himself liking Gabriel. He understood now, why the boy behaved so surly all the time. Harry could too if everyone around him was a constant reminder that his family had straight-up abandoned him.

" I'll give 'em hell for you, " Harry promised.

" No, don't." Gabriel shrugged. " I'm so mad at them, but at the same time, I can't let them go. "

Harry nodded. His gaze drifted to the clock hanging on the opposite wall. His eyes widened as he stood up, running to grab his bag that was by his desk.

" I gotta go, but for what it's worth, I'm sorry. " He stopped in front of Gabriel, offering his hand. " You're right, it wasn't any of my business, I'm sorry for prying. "

" You know, " Gabriel took his hand, shaking it as he shook his head, " You aren't that bad, Potter. "

Harry smirked. " I wish I could say the same. "

Gabriel was a good guy, he'd force David to invite him for a game later.

* * *

Kaia wrapped the vines around him one by one, snaking them up his waist.

Harry smiled, and they froze, unwrapping themselves before stopping to lay on the ground around him like docile pets.

Harry opened his mouth to remark, but then the ground cracked open, swallowing him in half.

" Kaia! " He yelled as he fell. The ground swallowed, his torso slowly disappearing. " That's cheating! "

" It's not. You should be prepared—"

" Be prepared for anything, " Harry rolled his eyes, " I know. "

The ground raised him up like a platform. He stood up, brushing the dust from his legs and clothes. He sighed, today had been a long day. He wondered if Kaia would count the last test as a fail, seeing as he did fine for every test except for her's due to her little surprise

" Hurry up, " Kaia urged him, sweeping past him. " Perenelle made your favourite biscuits today. "

Harry smiled, stretched tiredly before following Kaia into her cottage, where Perenelle and Nicolas were sitting on her couch.

" How was it? " Perenelle asked. Both her and Nicolas knew that it had been Kaia's test that he was most worried about.

" It was fine, " he smiled, taking a cookie from the plate in front of him as a pitcher soured over with a glass of orange juice. " It would've been better if Kaia didn't cheat though.." He said sweetly, flashing her a smile.

The dryad rolled her eyes." You should've been more alert, " she sniffed, swooping in to snatch his glass that was floating in front of him. " See? " She said in a chiding tone, ignoring his sounds of protest as she raised the glass and took a sip.

" Harry, " Nicolas started. " We've been wondering if you're happy at the orphanage. " Harry's eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. They've asked him a few questions about his muggle life— how his friends were, how school was, but those questions were brought up more frequently these last few days.

" I'm fine. " He said, giving Nicolas a weird look. " Why? "

" I know we've only known each other for a year, but we—Perenelle and I— we would like to know if you would be against us adopting you. "

Harry's brain stopped to a halt. " What—Me? But—" He'd seen a couple of kids adopted. They were usually the younger ones, all adopted by happy, smiling parents. Parents that Harry could picture Perenelle and Flamel as, laughing with a happy blonde toddler. Harry wasn't quite sure where he fit in all of that.

" You're an incredible person, Harry. We would love it if you joined our family, " Perenelle said, reaching over to squeeze Harry's hand reassuringly. " It's fine if you don't want to—" Harry shook his head, his mouth suddenly very dry.

" We understand if you'd never think of us as your parents. " Nicolas smiled softly at him. " Think of us as your uncle and aunt , and Kaia as a grandmother. "

Harry beamed at them, his chest warming as Kaia sat beside him to wrap an arm around his shoulder comfortingly.

" You're sure? " He asked, just in case.

" Of course, " They replied without any hesitation.

He wasn't sure if he'd ever stop smiling.

* * *

Harry sat in his bed, staring at his suitcase in nervous excitement.

It had been two days ago since the Flamels had asked him, and now they were coming to the orphanage to make it official.

He glanced at the clock, fiddling nervously with his hands as he watched the hands tick closer and closer to the bold three. Half an hour later and they would be here.

If he was being honest, Harry almost regretted his decision the minute he arrived at the orphanage.

Leaving would mean letting go of his muggle life, and he wasn't sure if he could do that yet.

A loud knock echoed thought the room, followed by several rapid soft one's. David and Micheal burst through the door.

" You're really leaving, huh? " Micheal remarked, looking at Harry's suitcase sadly. Micheal was fifteen now. His growth spurt hit him a few months ago, and now he towered over David, who had grown tall but not as much as Micheal.

Harry gave them a half-hearted smile. " I guess so. " Micheal wrapped an arm around David, hugging him close. David sniffed sadly, moving forward to hug Harry.

" I remember when you first came here, " he recalled, his voice soft with nostalgia. " You were so small and cute. Now look at you, " He said, shaking his head. " Lucky you, I'd adopt you too, with your pretty green eyes and cute face, " he sighed, pinching Harry's cheeks.

Harry slapped them away, ignoring the wounded noise David made as he fell back dramatically onto Micheal.

They'd done this a hundred times.

Both Micheal and David had said goodbye to him in countless ways since he told them he was being adopted. Each time was done in preparation for today. For the final goodbye.

" I bet you guys will be next, " he declared. They both knew he was lying. Micheal and David were teenagers. Everyone knew the odds of teenagers being adopted: depressingly slim. But still, a little white lie never hurt anyone.

" Harry Potter, " Sister Julie interrupted, knocking gently on the door as she entered. " They're here. " She smiled at them.

Harry leaped to his feet, grabbing his suitcase. His clenched it tightly, his palm white. Micheal pulled it from him, almost yanking it from his grasp. " We'll be down soon, Sister, " he smiled, ignoring Harry's attempts to take it back.

Micheal carried his suitcase with such ease that he was almost embarrassed. While his suitcase was much heavier than it had been when he first came, Harry knew it was still incredibly light.

They brought him down all the way to the general office, Micheal and David's footsteps sounding heavy behind his own. Harry could see Perenell and Nicolas sitting in the office, chatting with Mrs Peters.

" Give them a couple of minutes and they'll be done, " Sister Julie said as Perenelle turned to give him a wave. Seeing, Mrs Peters gesture to her, she walked into the office, leaving the three boys alone.

Harry shivered as a cold breeze swept last him. His eyes widened in alarm. " I forget my jacket! " He turned around to run up and grab it when Micheal stopped him, placing a firm hand in his shoulder. " It's fine we'll get it. "

They ran up, hurriedly, and Harry was left alone.

" Congratulations. " Harry turned to see Gabriel leaning against the pillar. " It's not every day a young orphan gets adopted. "

" I could say the same thing. " Everyone was surprised to hear that Gabriel was going to be taken in by a distant relative. Gabriel would be leaving the orphanage this Friday.

" Turns out I've got a Great Uncle Marius in the Muggle world. " Gabriel remarked flippantly. Gabriel was back to his normal self for now. A part of Harry told Gabriel probably wasn't as fine as he appeared to be, but he knew the boy was like a stubborn old oak tree. He wouldn't bend to this.

" So, have you figured out what you're going to do yet? " Harry asked Gabriel, an amused expression on his face. He had asked the same question a handful of times, and each time he got a different answer.

Gabriel nodded. " I'll do something no wizard has ever done. The first Squib on the Moon. Can you imagine it? "

He could. Easily, in fact.

They both turned to see the Flamels walking towards them. " Looks like you've got to go. "

" It was an honour meeting you, Gabriel Matthews. " Harry grinned, extending his hand out for a shake.

Gabriel smirked. " Likewise, Harry Potter. " He turned around, walking nonchalantly to the stairs.

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw him collide with David and Micheal around the bend, glaring at them venomously as he gripped the handles for support.

David and Micheal ran down, running over to hand him his jacket.

" Your room is so far away, " David panted. Remembering his room was one of the last on the end of a very long corridor, Harry grimaced as he took his jacket.

" Sorry, " he apologised.

" Harry! " Nicolas said as they walked towards him. " We'll be over there, " he pointed to a bench not far from where they were standing. " Take all the time you need to say your goodbyes. "

David eyed them speculatively. " He seems nice. "

Harry nodded. " He is. They both are. "

" You'll be alright, won't you, Harry? " Micheal asked.

" Of course. I'll be fine guys. "

Micheal smiled softly. " Then I guess it's time to say goodbye. "

David pulled Harry into a hug. " I'll miss you, " he said, ruffling Harry's hair affectionately.

He released Harry, only for the younger boy to be pulled into Micheal's embrace. " Don't forget about us. "

" As if I could. "

* * *

A/N: Honestly guys this is one of my favourite chapters. I promise I didn't make the only person who didn't like Harry like him its for the plot i swear. I absolutely loved writing the "big reveal" and harry and gabriel's interaction i almost fee bad that Harry's leaving so soon.

School just started for me so i'm gonna be really busy and i'm not gonna be able to update regularly again sorry :(


	13. Chapter 13

A sense of familiarity washed over Harry as they appeared in front of the Flamels' house.

Or rather, _his_ house now.

Nicolas placed his hand on the door knob and Perenelle gently guided him inside as the door clicked open. Harry closed his eyes as he felt the waves of _magic_ suround him.

" You okay? " Perenelle asked after a minute.

Letting out a shaky breath, he opened his eyes. Harry nodded at her reassuringly. He hadn't been here since Perenelle and Nicolas started coming over to Kaia instead. He'd almost forgotten how it all felt. It was like being submerged in a pool, only the magic was _denser_—like wading through syrup rather than water.

" I'm fine. " He smiled at her. " It's just a bit overwhelming." Perenelle patted his arm comfortingly. Honeslty, it wasn't just the magic, the whole situation felt overwhelming.

Harry smiled at them, ignoring the ball of tension in the pit of his stomach as he felt Nicolas stand behind him, his hand gently landing on his shoulder. " Welcome to Flamel Manor, your new home. "

Harry's smile threatened to split his face apart.

* * *

Flamel Manor was an old house. Harry would often find pictures or paintings dating back to the 1300s lining the walls, even the occasional suite of armour along the halls.

He hadn't really noticed during his visits but the Manor was huge. It seemed to stretch for miles—he needed five hands to count all of the rooms—even though he was certain he could see all four corners of the house when he stood outside the front door.

During his visits he had only grown familiar with the living room, and the patio. And as much as he loved the gardens, there were rooms that made him never want to leave.

The library was one of them, Harry was sure he hadn't even seen so many books in a single room before. The potions lab, which was a hidden room in the basement that Nicolas showed him was the second. With the ingredients that lines the shelves and the gold cauldron that lay smack in the middle of the room it practically screamed magic and wizardry and Harry couldn't be more excited.

But the kitchens was without a doubt his favourite room. Harry had found it on his second day exploring the house and it's millions of rooms. The kitchens were a cosy place, and it was almost always filled with house-elves. Honestly, they were kinda cute with their floppy ears and huge eyes.

The house elves, in turn, seemed to be wary of him. At least they were. After one burst into tears when he thanked it for a glass of water he was pretty sure they liked him now.

House elves weren't the only ones that were strange in this house. Perenelle and Nicolas were acting...differently. Harry would occasionally find Perenelle staring at him with a funny smile on her face, and at times Nicolas seemed to forget he was there, instead staring at him like he had never seen Harry before in his life.

Life with the Flamels was strange and different in general. Perenelle was a mother hen who fussed over him the second he breathed too deeply and for someone who was used to having to clamber for even a speck of attention it felt _weird._ Like it was wrong somehow that Perenelle was giving him so much attention-that she cared so much for _him._ Harry wondered when she would snap out of it and realise that there were more important things she should be paying attention to.

That wasn't all that changed. Harry could feel himself getting used to the magic around him-the magic that lined the paintings, that ran along the walls of the house-he could feel it slowly fade into the background like white noise-ever present static that buzzed in the corner of his ear. Meanwhile, his lessons seemed to be getting more and more magical. Everyday Perenelle and Nicolas would take him out for lessons. Before, Perenelle usually brought him to forests where they spent time picking plants, now they would spend most lessons in the greenhouse, caring for various magical plants. Similarly, he spent most lessons with Nicolas in the potions lab, or in the library.

Setting his book down, Harry rested his head on the table, his eyes closing. He had been researching the _Herbicide Potion_ for hours. He opened his eyes slowly, letting his gaze wander over the books that lay sprawled open across the table. He wondered what Micheal and David were doing right now. He turned his head to check the time. It was five o'clock. Micheal would be preparing for his study session and David would be making a snack. Harry smiled lightly. A Nutella sandwich, like every Thursday.

Slowly, his thoughts drifted to the Dursley's. Dudley was staying with Marge, and he'll stay with her for the next ten years or so until Petunia's sentence ended at the very least. He wondered how they were doing in prison. A part of them hoped that they weren't doing too well, and another part of him wondered if they felt bad for what they did.

Probably not.

Harry sighed.

If he was being honest, he didn't feel bad either. He couldn't summon up a speck of remorse for getting them arrested, and he didn't want to either.

He'd do it again in a heartbeat.

* * *

" What are we doing here again? " Harry asked as they dodged through the crowds, not bothering to hide his stare as he watched the witches and wizards push their way through Diagon Alley.

" We're here for Gringotts, remember? " Nicolas grunted as he tried to make his way through the crowd, frowning at the snobby lady who scoffed at him as walked past. " Purebloods, " he grumbled.

Harry nodded, his eyes wide as he watched a green-robed witch shove an entire cauldron into a small black bag. A ripple ran down it, as if the bag had just burped.

Gringotts, the wizarding bank, lay just ahead of them. It's marble pillars towered over the other shops. Nicolas almost pushed him in, narrowly avoiding the crowd of people heading their way.

" Is it always like this? " Harry asked when they entered the bank only to see the long queues that winded down a vast marble hall. Much like the rest of Diagon Alley, it was packed. People were everywhere—queueing in front of long counters that stretched through the hall, some were being escorted by Goblins to what Harry could only assume to be the vaults. Goblins lined the hall, armed to the teeth with a large axe and more daggers strapped to their chest than Harry could count.

" It must be tax week. " Nicolas let out a long suffering sigh and guided him to the shortest queue.

Literal hours seemed to pass before it got to their turn. Nicolas raised his hand, a golden ring on his index finger flashing in the light. " Good afternoon, we have an appointment? " The goblin glanced down at his book, before he he nodded his head and gestured to a goblin on the right.

" Grosgur will take you to your appointment. " The goblin moved forward, guiding them out the hall. As they walked down dim twisting passages, the only light coming from torchlights above them, Harry could see why Gringotts had such a fortified reputation. The place was a maze—one that only the goblins could weave through.

Eventually, they stopped in front of a huge silver door. Grosgur knocked, his fist pounding the door so hard Harry could see it shake slightly.

An old goblin opened the door, his silver hair matching the door. He peered up a them through small half moon spectacles, before nodding at Grosgur. Grosgur stepped back as the goblin opened the door wider to let them in.

" Appointment for Nicolas Flamel, " The goblin stated monotonously. Harry absentmindedly wondered if he needed a career change. The door slammed shut as soon as they stepped inside, drowning out the echo of Grosgurs footsteps.

Books lined the walls from top to bottom. In the first half of the room there was a normal, if extravagent, golden desk with two chairs in front of it. In the second lay a mini shiny cauldron. The desk was pile with stacks of papers that were halfway to the ceiling, swaying threateningly.

The goblin took his arm, firmly guiding him to stand in front of the cauldron. Harry could see a translucent potion sloshing and bubbling inside, a purplish tint around the edges where the light hit it. " The potion is ready, " the goblin drawled, handing him a plain dagger. " However we will need some blood to complete the process. '

Harry flashed Nicolas a wary look. Blood was a powerful magical component. And goblins were cunning, ruthless creatures who wouldn't hesitate to use the their enemies blood against them if the situation called for it. Harry didn't doubt that.

Nicolas only nodded. Harry took a deep breath and lifted the tip of the dagger to meet his finger, grimacing as he sliced the tip open to let a few drops of blood fall into the waiting cauldron. He never did like seeing blood.

The potion hissed the second his blood touched the surface, silver smoke wafting upwards. The goblin swooped in, soaking a piece of parchment into the mixture. He disappeared into a backdoor, parchment in hand.

Harry looked down at the knife in his hand, and with a disdainful glare, wiped the blood off the knife with the hem of his shirt. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Nicolas flash him an approving glance.

A sudden bang echoed throughout the room, forcing him to look up with a jolt. The goblin entered the room, and motioned for them to sit on the chairs in front of the desk.

Harry strained to see the goblin over the mountain of papers, just barely managing to see the top of his head bob up and down.

A wrinkled hand emerged through the small gaps in between the papers, the piece of parchement rolled between two fingers.

Harry took it after a second of hesitation. Feeling the goblin's gaze burn into his head, he unrolled the paper. It was completely dry despite being soaked a minute earlier, and he watched in fascination as words bled into existence when the injured tip of his finger touched the parchment.

_Name: Harry James Potter-Flamel _

_Date of Birth: July 31st, 1980_

_Parents:_

_Lily Potter neé Evans (deceased) - Mother (biological) _

_James Potter (deceased) - Father (biological) _

_Perenelle Flamel neè Pinon (alive) - Mother *(through blood adoption)*_

_Nicolas Flamel (alive) - Father *(through blood adoption)*_

_Godparents: _

_Alice Longbottom neè Fortescue (deceased) - Godmother_

_Godfather: Sirius Black (alive) - Godfather _

_Titles: _

_Heir to the Noble and Ancient House of Potter _

_Heir to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Flamel _

_Heir to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black _

_Heir to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Peverell_

_Vaults: _

_Vault 100 _

_Vault 687_

_Vault 711_

_Vault 820_

_Properties: _

_Potter Manor _

_Godrics' Hollow_

" Blood adoption? " He asked Nicolas as he scanned the paper, eyes landing on his parents' names. _Lily Potter neè Evans and James Potter. Deceased. _

He lightly ran his finger over their names_, _smiling at the memory of the small family in his snowglobe. _Lily and James. _

" It's just in case anyone tries to take you away from us, " Nicolas answered, his tone light but Harry could hear the worry seeping into his voice.

His head snapped up. " Like who? "

" No one, " he said in a soothing tone. " It's just a precaution. "

Harry frowned. Nicolas was obviously keeping somthing from him but he let it go for now. Nicolas could be stubborn when he wanted to. He would bring it up again later.

" What do they mean by heir? " He shifted, letting Nicolas see the parchment.

" There's the lord, who's the head of the family, " Nicolas explained, " and the heir, who will eventually become the lord. " He smiled at Harry, ruffling a hand through his hair. " Imagine it like a royal family. I'm the King, " He said as he raised his hand to rest it on his chest. " And you're the Princess. " He clapped him on the back, ignoring the deadpan stare he received in return.

Harry rolled his eyes. Sometimes Nicolas was more of a kid than he was, and he's ten.

" But don't worry about all that, " Nicolas stated seriously. " You're just a kid, worry about lordships when you're older. " Then he turned his attention to the goblin.

Harry turned his attention to the parchment. Harry James Potter-Flamel sounded kinda nice, he thought as he looked up at Nicolas, who was currently haggling for a lower price with the goblin. He hoped Nicolas wouldn't be too stubborn, the goblin was starting to eye the dagger with a glint in his eye and Harry didn't want to lose a dad so soon.

He reeled his thoughts back in.

A _dad. _Huh.

He looked at Nicolas fondly, a small smile on his face. A _dad. _

* * *

Harry sat in his room, hands clutching the wooden box in his hand reverently.

He had a _wand. _An honest to god wizarding _wand. _

_" Curious... Very curious...I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr Potter. It so happens that the Phoenix feather whose tailfeather resides in your wand gave another feather...just one other. It's curious that you should be destined for this one when it's brother gave you the scar." _

Harry batted Ollivanders words away, choosing instead to focus on his new wand. The whole brother wands with the Dark Lord thing? Just a coincidence.

But you know what isn't a coincidence? He was going to be learning _magic. _Wand-waving, spells and curses magic.

Harry couldn't be more excited.

So what if he had the brother wand of _He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named? _He was sure that someone out there had the brother wand of Grindlewald. It didn't mean anything.

It wasn't important.

A wand was just a wand, after all.

He kindly ignored the small traitorous voice in the back of his mind that whispered, " the wand chooses the wizard. "

_A wand was just a wand. _

Harry opened the box and took his wand out, lifting it to eye level.

" Lumos, " he murmured.

The tip of his wand shone brightly, lighting up the room.

* * *

**Time skip: ~1 year **

**Date: 20 July 1991**

* * *

" Perenelle! Nicolas! " Harry shouted, running down the twisting halls of Flamel Manor.

He waved the letter in his hand, narrowly dodging the suit of armour that stood just around the corner. He grimaced as his elbow connected with a small porcelain base. Quick as a whip, his wand was in his hand and the vase was steadily moving through the air to rest back on the dresser.

" I got it! I got my letter! "

He turned, running to the kitchen as fast as he could. The smell of garlic and chicken roasting in the oven hit him as soon as he entered.

Harry scanned the room eagerly, beaming when he saw Perenelle surrounded by house elves, her hands white covered in dough.

" Perenelle! " She laughed as he crashed into her. " I got my Hogwarts letter! " He announced, waving the letter in her face excitedly.

She wiped her hands on the blue apron tied around her waist. Bending down, Perenelle pulled him close.

" Congratulations, Harry! "

Harry grinned, and carefully opened the letter.

_Mr H. Potter-Flamel _

_The Heirs Room _

_Flame Manor _

_51 rue de Montmorency_

" We should celebrate. " Pernelle turned away from him, untying her apron as she told a House elf to go fetch Nicolas.

A loud squawk caught his attention. Looking up, Harry saw a brown owl perched next to the open window. It shook it's feathers, as if it was almost annoyed by the lack of attention it was receiving.

Harry walked over to it, frowning at the identical address on the letter, written in red ink in the fanciest font he'd ever seen in his life.

Tearing it open, he furrowed his eyebrows, saying, " Beaxbatons? "

Perenelle walked over. Taking the letter, she scanned it quickly before passing it back to him. " Beaxbatons is the French magic school , " she explained. " I didn't think they'd send you a letter, although I guess I should've seen it coming. " Shooting him a look, she said, " We are in Paris after all. "

" What do I now? " Harry asked, looking between the two letters.

" You'll have to choose which school to attend, dear. "

Harry set the Beaxbatons' letter down without a single thought, keeping his Hogwarts letter close to his chest.

He was going to be a wizard, just like his Mum and Dad; Hogwarts would help him do that.

So Hogwarts it was.

Nicolas entered the kitchen with a loud bang. He beamed at Harry, his grey eyes shining.

" Congratulations, Harry! " He exclaimed, holding a gigantic ice cream cake. On queue, small fireworks exploded above him, red and blue flashing through the air. Two house elves— Mipsy and Tam— spun around in the air like ballerinas, waving firecrackers around gracefully as they soared through the air.

Tam snapped his fingers, and plates lined up one by one in front of the cake.

Harry laughed as a plate soared over to him. Raising his cake to Nicolas in a silent toast. Perenelle and Nicolas mimicked him, cheering loudly. Around him, house elves followed until all he could feel his bones vibrating.

He leaned into Perenelle, watching the fireworks with a contented smile.

* * *

**A/N:  **Oh my god guys Harry finally got his hogwarts letter! I've been waiting for this day since I started writing the first chapter, I just love something about the scene where he gets his letter in the book and movie. As you may or may not have known, i rushed quite a bit to make it to this chapter and i'm so happy that we're finally here.


	14. Chapter 14

**Important A/N: ** hey guys so i made a poll so please **head over to my profile and vote on which house you think Harry should go in!** I may or may not go with the most popular vote but i mostly want to know if i write Harry accurately or not.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore stared at the enrollment list he held in his hand.

_Mr H. Potter-Flamel_

_H. Potter Flamel_, he read, over and over again.

_Nicolas, what have you done?_

Albus Dumbledore leaned back in his chair and sighed.

_Potter-Flamel. _The words taunted him, shining fluorescently in the light. As the paintings around him quietened into hushed whispers, Albus had the distinct feeling he was being mocked.

He almost wanted to laugh. If only the world could see him how, Albus Dumbledore, Defeater of Grindlewald, The Only Wizard Voldemort ever feared, being mocked and ridiculed by magical paint bound in wooden frames.

He sighed and concentrated. These days it didn't even take a thought to push the voices to the back of his mind.

It was good to be an Occlumens.

He looked down at the enrollment list, getting back to the matter at hand. This would certainly complicate things.

He ran a hand down his face wearily. Summoning a pen and parchment to his hand, he began to write.

_Dear Nicolas, _he started.

_I'm afraid this letter is not one on good terms. There's been news in Albania. He's planning something._

_I fear for the Wizarding World, should he ever succeed. _

_Keep the stone safe. _

_Your friend,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

A knock echoed around the room. Albus looked at the door expectedly, setting the quill down as a man entered.

" Ah, Quirinus. Welcome. " He gestured for the nervous man to sit. " Your sabbath went well, I presume? Albania is quite lovely this time of year." Quirrell nodded, fidgeting with the helm of his sleeve.

Albus smiled at the man. " Lemon drop? " He offered.

_It was for the Greater Good_

* * *

Dragon Alley was somehow even more crowded than the first time he'd visited.

Whole families stalked around the Alley, fighting for the best potions ingredients, haggling for the lowest prices.

He shivered uncomfortably as dozens of wizards' magic rubbed against his own. Brows furrowing, he focused for a few moments, imagining a wall built around him. His shoulders sagged in relief when he felt the pressure clear.

Harry hated crowds.

He looked at his list, mentally marking off the items. With the amount of people in Diagon Alley, they had all agreed that it would be faster to split up. Perenelle getting the school books (and a few extra supplementary books) while he and Nicolas were getting school robes and Potion ingredients.

As they hurried into Madam Malkins, Harry couldn't help but thank his lucky stars that his guardians were as introverted as him. Nicolas and Perenelle wanted to leave almost as badly as he did.

Harry scanned the shop, relieved it wasn't as crowded as the rest. Taking his hand in his, Nicolas guided them to the counter while Harry patted his bangs down self-consciously.

He was ushered onto a raised platform by a middle-aged, brunette witch. Raising his hands such that they were perpendicular to their sides, he tried not to move as measuring tapes and needles floted around him.

" Hello. Hogwarts, too? " A voice drawled beside him.

Harry turned his head slightly, cringing at the prick he felt on his ankle and the stern glare that followed it.

Moving as little as he could, he squinted from the corner of his eye, jumping when he saw who was next to him.

_Gabriel? _

It couldn't have been him. Gabriel was probably skiing in the Swiss Alps by now, or whatever it was rich people did. Harry buried the snicker that threatened to overcome him at the thought of Gabriel skiing.

The boy was a good head shorter, the top of his head only a few centimetres over his own. Whoever he was, he wasn't Gabriel.

The boy—Mini Gabriel, Harry decided—seemed pleased with Harry's shock, smirking at his open mouth.

" Yes, " He forced himself to say. Mini Gabriel looked him up and down slowly.

" What house do you think you'll be in? "

" I'm not sure honestly. I'd do fine in any of them, " He answered lamely. The boy looked so much like Gabriel it was concerning.

The boy sneered at his answer. Harry blinked twice—even their sneer was the same!

" Well I'm going to Slytherin, " He declared, his chin lifted up high. " My whole family's there. I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. "

" I'm Harry—"

He peered around, scanning the room. " Where are your parents by the way? "

" Well..um my Mum's looking around the shops, and my Dad's somewhere around here I think." He swallowed, nearly tripping over the words. He had never really called Perenelle and Nicolas 'Mum' and 'Dad' before.

" They are our kind, aren't they? " Mini Gabriel looked at him suspiciously.

Harry's brows furrowed. " Yeah.."

The brunette dismissed the various floating instruments with a wave of her clothes wand, pulling him off the measurement stage before handing him a stack of clothes neatly wrapped and presenting him with a slim paper cheque. With a barely hidden sigh, she moved on to Mini Gabriel, who didn't seem half bothered by the dozen flying needles surrounding him as he was just moments ago.

Harry didn't waste a beat. Feeling his magic flow through his Heir ring, he stamped it down on the paper, eager to leave. The sooner, the better.

Giving Mini Gabriel an apologetic face, he grabbed his packages, walking past him to leave the shop. Nicolas had to be around here somewhere.

Then the door opened, and a tall man stepped through.

Mini Gabriel smiled, running to the man, ignoring the annoyed huff Madam Malkin's assistant sent his way.

" Father. " Mini Gabriel glanced at Harry, who was halfway to the door. He raised his hand, pointing straight at him. " This is...er.., " He paused, looking at him quizzically. " What was your name again? "

_Okay, rude. _Harry sighed. So much for a quick getaway. " Harry Potter, " he offered helpfully. Nicolas and Perenelle said that it would be better if their relation to him wasn't common knowledge, and honestly Harry couldn't tell which was worse: Harry Potter or Harry Potter-Flamel.

Mini Gabriel gaped at him, his greyish-blue shining in the light so differently that it had a few moments ago, and the man whipped around, staring him down with an expression Harry couldn't place.

He squirmed under their combined gazes.

" I'm sorry, but I have to go, " He apologised, giving Mini Gabriel a small smile. " It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr Malfoy. " Harry gazed up at the man, his smile frozen on his face.

The man's shiny hair glittered under the light, a mirror image to his son's. Harry focused on their eyes, the the way they tinted grey under the light.

Looks like Draco Malfoy really was Mini Gabriel after all.

_They are our kind, aren't they? _

Harry smiled up at the man.

And did what anyone would do to a man who abandoned his son over something as fickle as magic.

" Asshole. " He presented him with two rude gestures, ignoring the way Mini Gabriel's eyes widened.

Then he walked out the door and straight into Nicolas.

Nicolas smiled at him, holding two ice cream cones in one hand and three brown packages clutched under his arm.

Harry glanced at the ice cream. _So that's where he went..._

Harry greeted him fondly, only for Nicolas to shove him aside. He winced as he was pushed back, eyes wide as he watched Nicolas whip his wand out, a blue shield appearing in front of them.

All while not spilling a single drop of ice cream

He cancelled the spell. The blue shield flickered out a moment later. He raised his wand threateningly, before rushing over to Harry.

" Are you hurt? " Harry shook his head, his heart racing fast as a Nimbus.

Nicolas shifted to glare at Malfoy venomously. Mini Gabriel clutched his father's arm, looking between Harry and Nicolas with wide eyes.

" Is there a problem here? " Harry winced at the coldness in his voice, and from the corner of his eye, he saw Mini Gabriel do the same.

Harry moved, pushing last Nicolas' arm to stand between them.

" It's my fault. " He admonished, ignoring the feeling of Mini Gabriel's eyes on the back of his neck. " I thought Mr Malfoy was someone else from the orphanage, " he explained, turning to say the last words while looking at Malfoy in the eyes.

If he was shaken, he didn't show it. Instead, he kept his face blank. Harry glared at him, he looked exactly like the did at the orphanage.

" I apologise, Mr Malfoy. " He turned, and walked over to Nicolas. Gripping his hand tightly, he whispered, " Let's just go. "

Nicolas looked down, and squeezed his hand gently in a silent question. Harry nodded. Flashing Malfoy another glare, he pulled Harry close.

" I'll see you in Hogwarts, " He said, looking straight at Mini Gabriel, offering him a weak smile.

And then they were gone.

* * *

Draco stood rooted to the ground.

He just met Harry Potter.

Harry Potter just cussed out his _Father. _

His Father almost cursed _Harry Potter. _

_He just met Harry Potter._

* * *

**A/N: ** Chapters may be a lot shorter now guys

_Vantage Points: _ Check out my other story _Vantage Points_ it's basically a collection of snippets from this story in the perspective of various characters. It also contains some important information to understand the story better. So please check it out!( Gabriel's chilhood chapter is coming up too :0)

Reviews: To **Moon Pix** and **LadyPheonix68 **thanks so much for pointing that mistake out! No Harry is not a year older it's just a small typing error. And in all honesty, I completely forgot about 687. I changed fixed those as soon as I saw your reviews so thanks

To my guest reviewer **Silver Wolf**_, _I'm glad you like the story! (I choked when I read your review)

Big thanks to **nagyg2000 Sparhawk537 **and **whiteoaks** y'all are so nice like reading your reviews made my heart burst.

To **Mizzrazz72 **yes! I really wanted to show their reluctance to letting him go. In case some of you couldn't tell but the malfoys aren't really gonna be the incarnation of evil in this fic.

To the younger half of **AshesGleamandGlow** kudos to you for figuring it out!


	15. Into the Past: Lily

The day Lily met Kaia wasn't a good one. Rain poured down, soaking her from head to toe until her sweater stuck to her uncomfortably like a second skin.

She sat at the edge of the slide and watched the rain drops make tiny ripples on huge puddles. She sat there, even as lightning painted the sky white among dark clouds, even as she hugged her arms tighter around herself.

She'd rather get struck by lighting than go home right now. Not with Petunia acting the way she was. Most days were better than others, but today seemed especially bad.

Lily scoffed at the memory, ignoring the way her eyes moistened and her vision blurred. Bringing up a hand to wipe her face, she glanced at her watch. She sighed and got up. It was getting late.

Dragging herself forward, she walked through the water, making sure to splash as much water as possible. Lily glanced around the park, making a face. She _really_ didn't want to go home just yet.

The park was completely empty—no mentally stable person would be out in a storm like this—except for a cloaked figure that sat on the bench a few feet away. _What kind of weirdo_, she wondered, _sits in a park in the middle of a __storm?_

Lily cringed, suddenly remembering where she was.

She studied the figure. It was hunched over, the dark cloak flowing seamlessly around the figure, as if it wasn't dry and not completely soaked from the rain.

Lily, like every child, knew the right thing to do would be to turn around and go home _and definitely not talk to the cloaked weirdo in the middle of the storm. _

So she moved.

At least Petunia would feel bad if they found her dead body in the park.

* * *

Lily was nine when she first met Kaia. But she was seven when she first met her first magical friend, even if she hadn't known it then.

Severus Snape.

She decided, out of melancholy and a few (maybe more) swigs of Firewhiskey, that it was slightly ironic that despite this he would only be the second friend she lost.

No, that honour belonged to Kaia. Dryad Law really sucked.

" Hey. " Alice, the best person in the world and her favourite, if only, supplier of Firewhiskey, nudged her. " Snape was a dick, okay? But I'm sure he didn't mean it, I mean you guys have been friends since like, forever. "

Lily shook her head. " No. Did you see the look in his eyes? Merlin, he hates me! " She grabbed the bottle beside her. " Screw him, alright? " She lifted it up, ignoring the way Alice stared at her as she gulped it down.

Alice lifted her hand, and Lily pulled away, expecting her to take the bottle away from her. She grinned as she saw Alice raise another bottle in her hand. " You know, you're completely right. Snape sucks—in fact, guys in general suck. "

Alice summoned two glasses, popping the bottle open before pouring its contents into a glass and passing it to Lily. " Cheers. "

A sharp clink echoed throughout the dark. She frowned as a fruity taste filled her mouth.

" Grape juice, really? "

Alice shrugged. " Can't have you being too drunk for Charms tomorrow, Flitwick would mourn the loss of his best student. "

Lily giggled. Merlin! She, Lily Evans, Fifth year Gryffindor prefect, was drunk out of her mind in the Astronomy Tower. If McGonagall could see her now..

She sighed and moved to lie down on the floor.

Tracing constellations with her eye, she couldn't help but wonder what would've happened if Kaia didn't leave.

If Lily had asked her to stay.

She knew, if she begged hard enough, Kaia would've stayed with her. Would've left her kind to be with Lily.

And she hated that that knowledge comforted her, just a little bit.

" You know, " Alice chimed in, unknowingly interrupting her musings, " the best way to forget about a boy is to find a new one. " She suggested, only half-joking. " I heard James Potter is, miraculously, still single. "

Lily snorted, momentarily forgetting her thoughts , her mind to muddled up to concentrate on too many things at the moment.

" James Potter? Alice, you're either joking or more drunk than I am. "

" I don't think that's possible, " Alice giggled.

" Exactly. "

Lily shook her head.

James Potter? She'd rather kiss Malfoy.

* * *

Lily Evans hands were steady as she wrote the letter.

And they stayed steady as she sent it.

She had planned this since she found out that the Dark Lord was after her _son_. Her son who'd just turned a year old.

She wasn't going to hide away and wait for Him to find them. And he was going to-she knew he would. She could feel it in her bones.

But she also knew who could help: Kaia.

There were runes that Dryads carved into their trees to protect them, to keep them safe from Dark Magic while they were away.

If Lily could just get those runes carved into Harry's crib—hell even his blanket would do— she could modify them somehow , fortify them—make them impenetrable.

So she sent the letter, fully knowing the what would happen to Kaia if she helped her.

Dryads had always been impartial to wars of any kind, only concerned with themselves and their elementals. Most people didn't even know they existed. If Kaia helped her, she was bringing the Dryads into the war.

Or at least, she was if anyone found out.

So Lily waited until it was time to meet, and apparated to where they first met.

After all, who would suspect a muggle park?

" Kaia. " She smiled at the Dryad. " I'm sorry for dragging you into this, " she said, even if she wasn't.

" It's Harry, " she choked out. " He's after Harry. Please, you have to help me. "

Kaia agreed, and it was all Lily could do to not run into her arms. It helped that it was Kaia who came forward, gathering her into her arms and murmuring sweet comforts into her ear-just as she had so long ago when she first told her she was going away.

" It'll be okay. We'll keep him safe. "

Lily nodded, pulling Kaia tighter and hugging her close.

For Harry.

* * *

**A/N:** So this is just a redo of the original chapter, cause looking back on it it wasn't as good as i wanted it to be so yeah here you go. but just in case theres some confusion **here's a summary of everything important: **

\- Lily meets kaia when she's nine at the playground after a fight with petunia

\- Kaia leaves lily at the summer before fifth year because of a dryad law (i didn't elaborate this much in the chapter but i will talk about it more in future chapters but basically dryads are supposed to leave their elementals as soon as their teachings is over)

-when lily finds out that voldemort is after harry she contacts Kaia and they work together to make runes that are then engraved into his blanket to protect him just in case

\- Kaia is then banished for getting the dryads into a war and risking their exposure.

once again **this isn't necessary for you to read but it gives you a lot of insight, so please, read it anyway. **


	16. Into the Past: Gabriel

" Gabriel! " Narcissa yelled out into the manor. Her yells echoed down the hall. She frowned, tapping her foot impatiently when no reply came.

She turned, navigating through the twists and turns of the manor with ease. Stopping in front of two large oak doors, she balanced the moving bundle in her arms. Keeping one arm under him to nestle him over her hip securely, she rapped her right hand on the doors.

" Gabriel, darling, are you in here again? " Pushing through the doors, she walked past the seemingly empty library, straight to an alcove in the back of the room.

And there was Gabriel, sprawled across the floor surrounded by oil pastels. Narcissa smiled down at him fondly. " Gabriel, " she said softly, not wanting to disturb him. The four-year-old didn't even look at her, scribbling intensively on a parchment.

" What are you drawing? " She kneeled on the floor, balancing a bouncing three-year-old on her lap as she leaned closer. Narcissa squinted, wracking her brain for anything that could remotely resemble the squiggles of black and brown.

" A dog, "Gabriel mumbled, his brow furrowing as he added dots of blue. He set the pastel down and raised the parchment up. " Draco says he wants a doggie for his birthday. "

Draco clapped in agreement. " Dog! " He got up, ignoring his mother's attempts to guide him as he made his way to his older brother, almost tripping over an oil pastel. " I want a puppy! "

" Like this? " Gabriel pulled Draco into his lap. Draco frowned, managing to look a serious as a three-year-old could possibly be.

He shook his head. " I want a big dog, " he raised his arms over his head, a wide as he could. " A real one too. "

Gabriel nodded and patted Draco's head assuringly. " Once I get my wand I'll give you all the dogs you want. " He looked over to Narcissa, smiling hopefully, " Right, Mother? "

Narcissa smiled. " Of course, darling. "

* * *

**Time Skip: 2 Years**

* * *

Gabriel could feel every breath he took bubbling up in his throat, threatening to escape him. Frankly, sometimes he wished he could do the same—float up, higher and higher.

Like now.

Of course, most people wished that too when they were blanacing over the ledge of their window.

Gabriel took a deep breath, gripping the edges of his window sill and leaned forwards, just enough to peer over the edge.

He was a wizard. He wouldn't die. His magic would save him, he would be fine.

_Perfectly fine. _

He closed his eyes. If Harry Potter could defeat the Dark Lord as a baby, then surely he could do just _one _small act of magic. He was seven for crying out loud, late-bloomer or not it was time for him to do some magic. If he had to force it out, then so be it.

He looked down, and the ground seemed to stretch farther. He tried to swallow, but his mouth was too dry. Closing his eyes, he remembered the collection of books he had on his bookshelf. Tales of The-Boy-Who-Lived's greatest adventures. Draco borrowed them daily, his eyes always filled with awe and adoration even as he read the books for the twelfth time.

Just once, Gabriel wanted Draco to look up at him with those eyes.

Three stories, he decided, was not a very long fall. It would be over in a matter of seconds. A few moments later and he would be back on the ground.

The thought comforted him enough to take the first step, and let gravity do the rest.

The wind rushed up to meet him, whipping his robes around him almost painfully.

He clenched his gut, and waited. Eyes watering, he tried to imagine magic flowing through his body, making him as light as a feather.

Soon the adrenaline faded, and all he felt was anger.

_Nothing was happening._

Why wasn't anything happening?

Gabriel forced himself to keep his eyes open even as the ground got closer and closer. He wanted to see his magic for himself.

He wanted to be able to tell Draco all about it later.

He gritted his teeth, and he could've sworn he felt his robes scrape the ground ever so slightly before he was swept up, and up, and _up. _

Joy spread through him like wildfire and he felt lighter than air. He laughed as he touched the ground gently.

And fell back down as a body tackled him to the ground.

Gabriel wrapped his arms around the figure tightly, realising that it was his mother, her hands running over his face as she checked for any injuries.

" I'm fine, Mother. I did it! I—"

" Gabriel Cygnus Malfoy! What were you thinking?!" His mother snapped at him, gripping his shoulders tightly. He frowned, did they not see what he just did?

" I would've been fine—"

" YOU COULD'VE DIED! " She shouted at him. Gabriel was momentarily stunned into silence. He couldn't remember the last time his mother had lost her composure. Even when the Dark Lord had died, and his father had locked himself in his study, she carried on as if nothing had changed.

" But I— " His voice died off, seeing his father pocket his wand over his mother's shoulder.

He pushed his mother away, staggering to stand in front of his father. " That was you? " His father nodded stiffly.

" That was a very foolish thing to do, you could've gotten hurt—"

" Why would you do that? " Gabriel cut him off. His father looked at him, puzzled. He wanted to laugh, he had never seen a clearer expression on his father's face.

Gabriel repeated, " Why would you do that? " His father frowned and opened his mouth to rebuke him. Gabriel didn't let him. " I could've done something! " He yelled.

He stared at him, chest heaving up and down. " I know you don't think I have magic but I do! " His mother rubbed his back in an attempt to comfort him, but he only shook her off.

Backing away from them, Gabriel shouted, " I could've saved myself! I'm not— I'm not a _Squib! " _He spat the word out. He wanted to scrub his mouth clean. The word felt dirty, and the possibility that he could be a— The mere thought of _that_ left a disgusting aftertaste.

This time it wasn't his mother, but his father who put his hand on his shoulder and pulled him close. Gabriel didn't have the strength to pull away.

He always hated disappointing his father.

He choked at the thought that he, Gabriel _Malfoy_ being a squib. A chorus of sobs erupted from his throat. Narcissa hugged him from behind, whispering a litany of apologies into his ear.

He wanted to shove them away—wanted to scream at them to stop because he wasn't a _squib._

Instead he pulled them closer.

* * *

A/N: I loved writing this chapter. I love Gabriel in general he deserves the world. (If I could make a whole story about him I would just saying)


	17. Chapter 15

It took heck of a lot of effort to stop Perenelle from storming over to Malfoy Manor and castrating Mr Malfoy. In the end Harry wasn't even sure if it was worth it.

" He shot a curse at you! " She fumed. " Who does he think he is?! " Harry nodded absentmindedly while packing his books into his trunk.

" And abandoning his son because he's a squib? I haven't seen that type of behaviour since the 1900s! " He was definitely reconsidering his decision now. (But honestly, even now she was still playing the "600 years-old card")

" Is that what they meant by 'our kind' " Harry asked. Perenelle's gaze softened. "Wizards and witches? His son, Draco, asked me that in Madam Malkin's—if my parents were 'our kind'. "

She sat down beside him, the bed shifting with her weight. Taking his hand, she said, " There are certain purebloods, like the Malfoys, who believe muggles, muggleborns—generally those who may not be as 'pure' as them—are below them. " She sighed, tracing his palm with the tip of her finger. " There are so many things wrong with that, I don't even know where to begin. "

Harry nodded. He had covered this in his etiquette lessons with Nicolas. While he knew there were prejudices against muggleborns, he didn't expect it to be so bad.

" It's a load of rubbish, " She stated. Then she grabbed his hand, clenching it tightly. "Harry, listen to me. " He frowned at the sudden change in her tone. He'd never heard her sound so serious before.

" Be careful around Albus Dumbledore, " she warned him. " Watch what you say—what you do—around him. Nicolas trusts him, but something's...not quite right about that man. "

Harry nodded, not knowing what to say. It was rare for Perenelle and Nicolas to fight about something. They were a team, always on the same page. But from how Perenelle was talking, Harry wasn't sure if they were even in the same book.

She sighed. " You won't understand at first, but soon you'll see. " She smiled and got up, signalling the end of the conversation. Brushing her skirt down, she said, " Dinner is in an hour. " Harry glanced over to his dresser beside his bed, where his Hogwarts letter lay unassumingly.

* * *

There were times when Harry was grateful he wasn't claustrophobic. Like now, for example.

It was pitch black, the dark walls of earth completely surrounding him. His heartbeat pounded in his ears and he took comfort in the steady beat.

Harry closed his eyes, trying to focus on keeping the walls of rock and earth around him. He took a deep breath, steeling himself.

Right on queue, cobbles the size of his head struck at him from all sides. The walls shook from the impact as dust rained down around him.

Another wave came-this time stronger and he grinded his teeth together and wove another layer of rocks around him.

The third wave made small, hairline cracks form on the layers of rock and earth, which grew into larger fractures with every hit.

At the fifth hit he dropped his shields. His shoulders sagged in exhaustion and he practically dragged himself to a bench.

Kaia handed him a bottle of water sympathetically.

" You're a slave driver, " he groaned in between gulps of water. " You know that, right?"

" You did ask me to work you to the bone. " She pointed out, sipping her own water. She leaned against the bench.

" Yeah, well I was young and disillusioned, " he defended. " I didn't think you'd take it seriously! "

" Consider this a lesson learned then. " Kaia quipped. " This is our last practice before you go to Hogwarts anyway, so you'll have a lot of time to rest. "

" What's Hogwarts like? Did my mum tell you anything about it? " He asked, shifting to face her. He winced as he his joints ached in protest.

" Well she did say it was somewhere in Scotland. And something about ghosts. I can't really remember. " She admitted and Harry tried not to let his disappointment show on his face. Nicolas and Perenelle went to Beaxbatons so they could only tell him as much as Kaia could.

" I bet you'll miss me, " he teased, changing. " You'll be so bored without me around. "

Kaia rolled her eyes. " Actually, I'm excited. The first peace and quiet I've had in 5 years. " she said dryly. Then her eyes glinted. " I might go sightseeing. Greece is lovely this time of year. "

Harry looked at her in horror. Greece was practically filled with magical creatures—everything from Acromatulas to Thestrals could be found in Greece

He'd been begging her for a visit since he turned ten, and found out that Dryads had a way with animals. Harry had once seen Kaia having tea with a Centaur.

Kaia straightened, looking Harry dead in the eyes. " You better practice while you're at Hogwarts. " She told him sternly.

Harry raised his hand, saluting her with a sharp, " Yes sir! "

* * *

Harry sat on the grand staircase of Flamel manor, absentmindedly stroking the feathers of the snowy white owl that perched next to him. Hedgwig was a late present from Nicolas, according to him at least. Harry suspected that it was out of guilt for leaving him alone in Madam Malkins.

Hedgwig squeaked, shaking him off and ruffling her feathers as Harry's hand slowed. He smiled down at her. " You're a bossy one, aren't you? " She squawked in what he imagined to be indignance.

" Are you ready? " He turned to see Kaia walking down the stairs, a reminiscent look on her face.

He nodded. " Just waiting for Perenelle and Nicolas. " He checked his watch. It was only ten o'clock.

He jumped at a loud slam, Perenelle and Nicolas emerging from the large oak doors in front of him. Judging from the sour look on their faces, the talk hadn't gone well.

Perenelle smiled as soon as she saw him. She rushed over to him and pulled him into a tight embrace. " I can't believe you're leaving, " she sniffed.

She let him go after a few seconds, much to Harry's relief and reluctance. Beside him, Nicolas patted his head, smiling down fondly at him. She frowned as she saw the time. " We better be going soon, or we'll miss the Portkey. "

Harry ran to Kaia, burying his face into her dress—which was a very different (and much more normal) from the leaf dress he first met her in—almost knocking her back a step.

" I'll miss you! " He said, his voice muffled.

She patted his head comfortingly. " I'll be here when you come back. "

" I'll write to you. "

" You better, or I'll have to go to Hogwarts myself. "

Harry chuckled and went to stand with Nicolas and Pernelle. Nicolas raised a wide circular, metal band and they grabbed onto it.

" Don't forget to practice! " Kaia yelled out, and he barely got in a shout of agreement before they were whisked away.

* * *

Harry sat in the Hogwarts Express, leisurely reading one of the books Kaia gave him.

Hogwarts Express looked very much like one of the train sets Dudley had, only _better. _If Harry focused, he could see the magic running through the train-powering up the engines, coating its walls.

Then the door opened and a familiar shiny head popped in. " Harry Potter, " Mini Gabriel grinned lazily. " I've been looking for you. " He closed the door, leaning against it

" My father told me to stay away from you. " He stated plainly. Harry fought the urge to shrug. Nicolas had drilled Pureblood etiquette into him for weeks in preparation for 'stuck-up Purebloods'.

" Maybe he doesn't like me? " _Obviously_. He had almost cursed him after all.

Mini Gabriel shook his head. " There's more to it than that. " He looked him up and down, assessing him. Harry supposed he passed when he opened his mouth, saying, " You're a potential ally, or at the very least, a connection. It would be a waste to avoid you. "

Harry's eyes grew wide. Didn't the Malfoys sound like a _fun_ bunch? He settled on a shrug. Etiquette be damned.

" Well, he did almost get into a fight with my Dad. " He reminded Mini Gabriel. The boy shot him a look. " I must've pissed him off really badly. "

" Maybe.." Mini Gabriel mused, before frowning suddenly."That man was your _father_?"

" He's a distant relative. He adopted me when I was young. " Harry recited. He'd practiced this with Nicolas and Perenelle earlier. Both of them agreed that it would be very _very_ bad if anyone found out who adopted him. " He's technically my Uncle but I've always seen him as my father. "

He opened his book, expecting the blonde to leave now that the conversation was over.

" What are you reading? " Harry looked over to see Mini Gabriel still in the compartment _and _now sitting down on the seat opposite him.

" A book. "

" Obviously. " He sneered. He rolled his eyes and crossed him arms, looking so sullen Harry felt bad.

" It's about Magical Creatures, mostly the XXXX ones. " He offered. " It's by Densys Humphkin. "

Mini Gabriel straightened. " XXXX? Where in Merlin's name did you find a whole book on XXXX creatures? The most information on them is strictly regulated by the Ministry! Even _Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find them_ doesn't have a lot of info on them." He cocked his head to the side. " Well..not anything really useful at least. "

" My Dad gave it to me. It's from our family library," he boasted. Because yes, Harry was proud of his library and he would boast about it as much as he liked.

Mini Gabriel opened his mouth when the compartment door burst open, stopping him from saying anything.

Three people entered. The first, a pretty, blue-eyed girl, followed by two bulky boys. Compared to her companions, the girl practically strided into the compartment, while the two boys lagged behind her. She stopped in front of Malfoy, arms crossed and barely sparing Harry a glance.

" Malfoy. " She almost growled. Mini Gabriel only smirked. " We've been through this whole train _twice_ before I noticed your little spell! "

" Apologies, Greengrass. I was just chatting with Harry Potter here, " He boasted and Harry felt like a first prize trophy on display when they all swivelled to face him.

The girl looked him up and down, before dismissing him with a sniff of her nose as she sat down beside Draco. Harry was immediately sandwiched by the two boys who sat on either side of him. He would've called her rude, but a part of him found it refreshing that someone care about the _great and glorious Harry Potter. _

He glared at the smug boy across him. " You spelled the doors?! " He grumbled, his exasperation growing by the second as Mini Gabriel shrugged slightly.

" I didn't want anyone overhearing us. " He said simply.

Harry gave him a look. " Besides, it's not like it was strong, " Mini Gabriel defended. "_ Daphne_ managed to break it. "

The girl—Daphne Greengrass, Harry assumed,from the infamous Sacred 28, of course —shot a light stinging hex at him, smirking as he hissed from the pain.

Rolling her eyes at Mini Gabriel's yowl of pain, she looked at Harry pointedly. " Daphne Greengrass, and those two are Crabbe and Goyle. "

" Harry Potter. "

" The one and only? " She questioned with a slight lift of her eyebrow.

Harry frowned. " Are there more? "

" Only around a few hundred more. "

Harry nearly dropped his book in surprise. " You're joking. "

" That's the price of fame, I'm afraid. "

Harry groaned, knocking his forehead lightly on the book with a thump. " I don't suppose it's too late to change my name to Harold? "

" Not unless you want everyone else to change theirs too, " Mini Gabriel quipped.

The expression of horror on his face made the whole compartment burst into laughter, and he found himself following.

* * *

Daphne Greengrass and Mini Gabriel seemed to click well together.

Mini Gabriel seemed relaxed around her in a way he wasn't around Harry or even Crabbe and Goyle. The same went for Daphne as well.

All in all, the four wannabe Slytherins didn't seem so bad—at least Daphne and Mini Gabriel. Harry wasn't sure about Crabbe and Goyle; he hadn't heard them utter a single sentence since the train ride began.

" What house do you think you'll be in? " Daphne asked him as she tore open a wrapper of a chocolate frog.

" He doesn't know, " Draco answered for him before he could even open his mouth. He tore his own wrapper off, before wordlessly exchanging his card with Daphne's chocolate frog.

Harry watched them with interest. They seemed to know each other well. Then realisation struck. Malfoy and Greenngrass were purebloods! Of course! Purebloods hung around each other—only each other. They were probably childhood friends.

Daphne sniffed disdainfully as she saw her cards and tosssed one aside on the seat, pocketing the other. Harry could see the picture of Albus Dumbledore, looking annoyed at his treament before leaving the portrait.

" Don't you have any preference, at least? "

" Well..Slytherin doesn't seem so bad, " Harry lied. Well not really lied, it really didn't seem that bad, he just found the constant manipulations and schemes tiring. Honestly, it sounded _exhausting. _

Mini Gabriel leaned forward, excited at the idea of Harry joining his house, and Daphne looked at him closely.

" I don't peg you as a Slytherin. " She admitted and Mini Gabriel frowned at her. " You seem more like a Ravenclaw. "

" Ravenclaw? " Mini Gabriel and Harry said together. " Why? If anything I'd say Gryffindor."

" You're so basic Malfoy. Of course _you_ would think the Boy-Who-Lived is a Gryffindor."

Mini Gabriel seemed offended. " I mean it is in his blood! His whole family's in Gryffindor! "

" Basic. "

" I am _not_! "

Daphne looked him over as if he were a bug and Harry prayed he wouldn't ever be the object of her gaze. Especially if she looked like _that. _

_" _You're childish too. "

He turned to Harry, silently asking for his opinion.

" Honestly, Malfoy I'll have to side with Greengrass on this one " Mini Gabriel looked at him like he just ate his pet.

She smirked. " Please, call me Daphne. "

" Then you should call me Harry. "

" Harry, I insist you call me Draco! We have known each other longer than Greengrass, it's only proper. " Mini Gabriel demanded, slipping into Pureblood Heir mode.

" I don't know Malfoy, " Mini Gabriel's face fell only slightly. Harry's eyes sparkled with mischief. " If you insist.."

He offered his hand, smiling as Draco shook it, his chest puffed up like a peacock. " Happy now, Draco? "

Harry leaned back in his seat. He wasn't naive enough to think they were real friends, they were Slytherins in the making. And yet as Daphne flashed him a small smirk, he couldn't help but return it with his own.

Maybe some day.

* * *

Harry, who had finally reached the chapter on on Centaurs, looked up from his book as a voice rang through the train.

" We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately. "

His stomach lurched with nerves, but Daphne and Draco seemed completely at ease. Draco flicking non existent dust off his collar as Daphne brushed her skirt down. She got up daintily, running her hands down the sleeves of her robes.

" Are you ready? " She asked him, half-way to the door.

Harry could only nod.

They exited the compartment one by one, Crabbe and Goyle lumbering behind them like bodyguards from a muggle movie. Harry tucked his book under his arm as they joined the crowd thronging the corridor.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. Harry bit his lip nervously, pushing his way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform.

" Would you stop that? " Draco nudged him, pulling his arms around him before glaring at Harry. " You're a wizard. Hogwarts is practically your birthright. " Draco shivered visibly, pulling his cloak around him tighter.

Harry gave him a small smile, but Draco was already pulling him forward, muttering under his breath about how cold it was.

A lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a booming voice.

" Firs' years! Firs' years over here! " A tall man—the tallest Harry had ever seen—yelled, drowning out the chatter around him.

Daphne wrinkled her nose in disdain as she glanced him over. Harry could see why. His face was completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild tangled beard. You could barely make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under the light.

" Who is_ that? _" She pointed out. Draco looked him over, mouth twitching downwards.

" My father told me about him. He's sort of a servant. " Daphne sneered at the word 'servant'.

Giggling softly, she quipped, " He does look like one, doesn't he? "

Harry frowned. Draco nodded in agreement. " I heard he's a sort of savage-lives in a hut and stumbles around Hogwarts drunk off his head. "

" Well, I heard he was nice. " Harry interrupted. Daphne looked scandalised, and Draco stared him down, only looking away when Harry's glare hardened.

Draco and Daphne, he decided as they followed the man down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path, strongly reminded him of Dudley at times.

It was dark on either side of them—so dark he thought there might be thick trees surrounding them—and yet Harry could still see the glances that Draco shot him.

He sighed, disturbing the silence. " I'm just saying he could be nice—useful even! " He said, trying to speak Slytherin or snobby-prick or whatever it was Purebloods spoke.

" Maybe. " He admonished begrudgingly.

" Still. " Daphne whispered in the dark. " He could at least get a haircut. "

Slipping and stumbling, they walked quietly. Neville, the boy who lost his toad, sniffed once or twice.

" Yeh'll get yer' firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec, " the man called over his shoulders, ' jus' round this bend here. "

There was a loud " Ooooh! "

The narrow path had opened up suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

Air rushed into his lungs. " Hogwarts," he breathed.

" No more'n four to a boat! " The man called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry, Draco, and Daphne were followed into their boat by a small boy, who Harry was later introduced to as Theodore Nott.

" Everyone in? " Shouted the giant, who had a whole boat to himself. " Right then-FORWARD! "

And the fleet of boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

Harry took a deep breath as they neared the castle, the air buzzing slightly with magic. He gasped in awe, ignoring the glance he got from daphne. How strong were the castle wards, he wondered, for him to feel it all the way from the lake?

Eventually, they flight of stone steps and crowded around a huge, oak door. The man raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the door.

* * *

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Harry's first thought was that this was not someone to cross. She reminded him of Kaia on a bad day.

" The firs' years, Professor McGonagall, " said the giant.

" Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here. "

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right-the rest of the school must already be here-but Professor McFonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, and Harry leaned against the pillar for support as his head swam.

" Welcome to Hogwarts, " said Professor McGonagall. " Harry took a deep breath to steady himself while the professor gave her speech. Beside him, Malfoy examined the crowd and Daphne picked at her perfectly manicured nails. Between that and Malfoy's crisp robes and gelled down hair, Harry felt very out of place.

" The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school I suggest you smarten yourselves up as much as you can while waiting. "

Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville and the red-head beside him. Draco sniggered quietly as Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair.

She left the chamber. Harry swallowed thickly.

" How exactly do they sort us into houses? " He asked Draco.

" Father refuses to tell me. Mother says its a rite of passage or something. "

Professor Mcgonagall returned, and lined them up then lead them through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

They were quiet as they walked in, some out of fear, but most, like Harry, couldn't tear their eyes off the velvety black sky dotted with stars illuminated by the thousands and thousands of candles floating in midair above them.

Harry forced himself to look away as McGonagall placed an old wizards hat on a stool.

It was old, and rnd frayed and extremely dirty and harry could not imagine what they could possibly use it for.

Then the hat opened its mouth and began to sing.

The song, a merry little tune, bellowed through the room and the whole hall erupted in applause.

" A singing hat. " Draco deadpanned. " Rite of passage, my arse! "

" Abbot, Hannah! "

The table on the right cheered and Daphne scofffed as the girl almost ran over.

" Boot, Terry! "

" RAVENCLAW! "

A Lavender Brown became the first Gryffindor and Milicent Bulstrode the first Slytherin. Daphne and Draco clapped politely only at the latter.

" Greengrass, Daphne "

She walked to the stool, placing the Hat on the stool with steady hands. The hat paused, but only for a second.

" SLYTHERIN! "

Daphne strode over to Slytherin, flashing Draco a smug smile on the way.

" Malfoy, Draco! "

Draco swaggered over to the stool. Harry wondered how they looked so calm. He felt like he was going to combust, the buzzing magic in the air making him feel restless. The hat didn't waste a second, barely touching the top of his head before it yelled,

" SLYTHERIN! "

Draco joined Crabbe and Goyle, who were only a few seats from Daphne, looking pleased with himself.

One by one, more and more names were called. Harry tensed as the hat called out a 'Pansy Parkinson'. He took a deep breath.

Then the hat called out " Harry Potter " and the whole hall went silent.

Harry made his way to the hat, ignoring the way whispers followed him. He sat on the stool, letting it flop over his eyes. He kept his eyes downcast, but they widened in surprise when he heard a faint voice whisper in the back of his mind.

" Hmm, " said a small voice in his ear. " Difficult, very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, oh my goodness, yes-and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting...So where shall I put you? "

Harry kept quiet, gripping the edges of the stool as the whispers increased tenfold for every second he the hat kept quiet. _Anywhere's fine_, he thought, cheeks slightly red.

" Anywhere, really? You don't have any preferences? "

_Well, I mean, maybe not Slytherin. _He glanced at the table decorated in green. None of the Slytherin's were smiling, most keeping a schooled expression while some out rightly glared at Harry. _I don't think they like me very much and I don't really have the energy for House politics. _

" Not Slytherin, eh? " Harry nodded. " Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin could help you on your way you way to greatness."

_There's always more than one way to greatness. _

" Touché, Harry Potter, but Slytherin is the most direct path. Not everyone has such potential, and in Slytherin you will flourish— "

_A house isn't everything. If I really do have 'potential' I'd be great either way. _Harry huffed lightly. This hat was stubborn.

" Well it looks like your friend was right Mr. Potter. " It chimed, before yelling, " RAVENCLAW! "

The whole room erupted in cheers, the table on the most right especially loud. If Harry squinted, he could see two Gryffindor redheads bent over each other for support bawling loudly.

He made his way to Ravenclaw's table, smiling as they waved them over. As he sat down at the end of the table, he caught Daphne's eye. She smirked and mouthing _' I told you so ' _ proudly. Harry grinned at her.

As soon as Harry turned back, people around him burst into chatter.

" You're in all my favourite books! "

" Did Dumbledore give you any advanced training? "

" How do you think you defeated the Dark Lord? It should be impossible, I mean if you think about it you should be dead—"

" All of you, shut up! Snape's been glaring, and I'd rather not lose points on the first day! " A third year hissed at them. Immediately, everything quietened, and Harry could feel the blood pooling in his cheeks when they settled on examining him.

" You don't look very heroic. Are you sure you're Harry Potter? " The boy beside him whispered.

" It's the robes, they don't really show off my abs. "

Silence ensued.

Worry started to pool in his stomach. Was he too blunt? He hadn't been around people his age since the orphanage, so he'd said the first thing that came to his mind. Then soft giggles escaped from a girl across him, and the first years around him were all laughing, only quieting down when the same third year snapped at them once more.

The bot snorted. " I'm Terry Boot. I just wanted to check you weren't stuck up or anything, being the Chosen One and all that. " Harry choked on his pumpkin juice. He knew that the general public liked to call him the Boy-Who-Lived but the _Chosen One_? Wasn't that a bit of an overkill?

" So what's it like? " Terry continued as he pierced a sausage with his fork. " Being the Boy-Who-Lived? "

Harry shrugged, his ears feeling hot as everyone around him listened with rapt attention. " Actually I don't really know. I was raised by muggles—my mum's sister—until one of my dad's uncles adopted me."

" Muggles?! " He exclaimed. " You lived in the muggle world? "

Harry nodded, taking a small sip out of his goblet. " Until I was nine. "

" I heard muggles can fly now, is that true? " A dark-haired girl looked at him curiously. Harry set down the fork that was already halfway to his mouth. "

" Yeah, but not on their own. Imagine brooms, but metal and much, much larger. " As he said this, several people glanced at him disbelievingly, though much larger group took in his words with wide eyes.

" How about—"

" Come on now, let's let Potter eat something more than pumpkin juice today, " A second year chastised.

The group immediately shushed, but Harry shivered at the way the girl's eyes glinted at him.

" Sorry. I'm Padma Patil. " She acquiesced, dipping her head slightly. " I'm pureblood, so I hope you can excuse my ignorance. "

Harry nodded, finally taking a bite out of his pot pie. Dinner continued peacefully, filtered with polite conversation. As soon as Dumbledore's speech was over, they were dismissed to their rooms.

Ravenclaw was located at the west side of the castle, guarded by a bronze, eagle-shaped knocker.

" What room do ghosts avoid? " It asked. The fifth-year reflects paused, then looked at each other, clearly puzzled.

A student, the same third year that scolded them at the feast, stepped forward.

"...Is it the living room. "

The knocker laughed and swung open. The perfect only sighed.

" Good job, Davies. " She said, shaking her head as she walked through the door.

The common room was decorated in shades of purple and blue. The tall, arched windows proudly displayed the clear night sky. There was a huge carpet in the centre of the room that looked soft enough to lie down on, and many couches and chairs, coupled with a few desks, that sat in front of a wall of books.

It was the ceiling that Harry liked the most. It was painted to match the sky, various constellations and planets drifting across the ceiling. Overall, the common room gave off relaxing vibe. Harry could already see himself sprawled next to the fire with a book open on his lap.

After a short welcome speech, they were sent to their dorms, with their trunks already at the foot of their beds. Harry's bed was smack dab in the middle, right between Terry Boot and Micheal Corner.

While Terry seemed content with their living arrangement, Micheal seemed disappointed, flashing a tall, spectacled boy called Stephen Cornfoot a reluctant shrug.

The beds were softer than his own at home, the sheets a nice, silky comforter that when added to the long train ride and full meal, sent Harry drifting off to sleep faster than ever.

* * *

A/N:eFirst actual update in a long time guys! Sorry for the long wait but I have been super busy with life and all that (which sucks) but hopefully this long chapter made it up to you guys. Feel free to check out my new fic, Crisis Averted! It's my first time writing a time travel fic, so I'd love some feedback.


	18. Chapter 16

Harry was not a morning person.

You'd think that after a year of waking up just as the sun rose he'd be used to it by now. To the behest of both Kaia and Perenelle, there was nothing Harry hated more than having to wake up before 10 A.M.

And Ravenclaws, it seemed, had the inane tradition of waking up half an hour early.

" Morning, firsties! Rise and shine! There's nothing worse than being late to your first class. " A cheery, fifth year prefect yelled. Behind her, an army of bells hovered through the air.

Harry groaned, twisting through the sheets and ripping the blanket over his head. The sound of footsteps faded away. Harry closed his eyes. Then, shrill bell rang obnoxiously beside his ear.

Harry flinched away from the sound with a yelp. He groaned when his knee met the cold, hard wooden floor. Glaring at the still ringing bell, he ripped his wand off his bedside table. The bell began to fizzle and ashes slowly flittered down to a heap on his bed. With a wave of his wand, the ashes vanished.

" Did you just _silently set that bell on fire?! " _A voice hissed. Harry winced as he sat up. Merlin, it was way too early for _that_ question. He looked up to see Terry standing on the other side of his bed. Harry groaned inwardly. Merlin, he was _awful_ at keeping secrets.

" It's not that hard. I just had a lot of practice, " he protested weakly. Terry's lips thinned and the boy took a deep breath.

" Non-verbal casting isn't that hard. Right.." Harry wanted the ground to swallow him up. Thank God the Hat hadn't placed him in Slytherin.

" My Uncle taught me. You just need to focus a lot. " Terry shot him a sceptical look. Anthony Goldstein gave him a sympathetic thump on the back.

" He's Harry Potter. " Goldstein said dismissively as he walked past.

Harry held back a groan.

" I'm gonna take a shower. " He grumbled.

It was way too early for this.

* * *

"Why in Merlin's name do we have to wake up so early ?! " He groaned, gesturing the the bare hall. The other tables were only half-filled, while Ravenclaw was nearly full. "There isn't even any food yet! "

As he soon as he said this, plates of food appeared on the table one by one.

Terry grinned. " Well, Ravenclaw has that enchanted knocker thing, and it would be a huge pain in the arse to have to answer a riddle everytime someone wanted to leave. It's easier to go out in one big group than go one by one. " Harry blinked at him, feeling slightly dumb.

Padma giggled beside him. " Are you sure you're awake? " She teased. Terry slid a plate of pancakes across the table.

" Eat up, mate, " Terry advised, " some food will wake you up.

Harry took a bite, barely able to swallow when hundreds of owls flew into the Great Hall. He squinted, one snowy white owl standing out from the rest. Hedwig swooped down and a letter flitted through the air, narrowly avoiding the bowl of cereal as it landed right beside his plate.

Hedgwig circled him slowly, before landing gracefully on the table.

" Thanks, girl. " He murmured, tossing her a slice of bacon with one hand while the other tucked his letter into his pocket. " What's our next lesson? " He asked as he took another bite.

Terry shrugged. " We should be getting our schedules soon. I just hope it's not Potions. They say Professor Snape is an absolute menance to everyone except Slytherins. " Harry nodded, chewing sceptically. His mother had written about Snape. Although they fell out when they were older, they were incredibly close when they were younger. Surely Snape couldn't be as bad as Terry was making him out to be.

Still, he couldn't help but wonder why they stopped being friends.

Padma leaned in. " He's supposedly much more bearable to Ravenclaws though.. Well compared to how he treats Gryffindors at least. "

" You want some advice on Snape? " A nosy second year beside them asked. They nodded eagerly. " Every year he quizzes students—first years or otherwise. If you're lucky, you won't get called. Unless you want to take your chances, you should read ahead. "

" How far ahead? " Padma bit her lip nervously.

" At least five chapters. "

" And if we don't? " Harry questioned. The second year glanced him over, his gaze resting on where Harry's bangs covered his scar and Harry fought the urge to fidget.

" Let's say you get called. Best case scenario: you lose a few house points; worst-case scenario: you're completely humiliated in front of everyone. "

Harry gulped audibly and Padma looked like she was going to faint. Terry only chewed on his pancake, albeit rather thoughtfully.

" I will be passing out the class schedules now. Please ensure you have one before leaving the Great Hall. " Flitwick called out at the end of the table, holding a thick stack of papers. One by one, they soared through the air, landing in the laps of students according to year.

Harry scanned his with such focus that he could have burned a hole right through the paper.

" Thank Merlin, no potions until Wednesday! "

They all grinned at Padma's ecstatic exclamation. Around them, people chatted, some cursing, some looking as relieved as they were.

Harry turned around, wanting to find Daphne and Draco at the Slytherin table. But instead, he found his gaze drawn to two black, beady eyes at the High table. Harry felt a cold shiver run down his spine as he realised that Snape was glaring right at him.

_Glaring, _not staring. The man sneered at him and Harry ripped his gaze away.

_Thank Merlin there was no Potions today._

* * *

" Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall said. " Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned. " She said it in such a way that Harry saw several Ravenclaws nodding, looking entranced.

With only a wave of her wand, her desk shifted into a big and back again. " Now, let's start with Emogphy's first law.." A piece of chalk zoomed to the clapboard, writing furiously as McGonagall began her lecture.

After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match to turn into a needle. Terry at once began, practicing the wand movements while Harry still scribbled over his paper, still trying to finish writing the notes. He wasn't used to using a quill and as a result his notes were made up of messy, uneven scribbles.

He picked up his wand, glancing over when Terry cursed. Harry watched as Terry tried again, only for the match to change colour from brown to grey.

" Maybe you could try to be a little less tense? " Harry suggested. Terry eyebrows furrowed and he loosened his shoulders. Harry moved the other boy's elbow just an inch to the left and adjusted his wrist. " Okay, now try."

Terry said the spell with a swish of his wand. The matchstick shimmered, turning into a shiny, gray needle

Feeling accomplished, Harry turned to his own matchstick. " Mutatio Acus, " He said with a swish of his wand and the matchstick turned into silver needle.

" Potter, " he heard McGongall say over his shoulder. " May I see? " He nodded and handed the needle to her. McGonagall brought the needle close to her face, turning it over in the light. " Excellent work, Potter. And you as well, Boot. " She gave them each small smile as she set the needle back on the table.

" Did your Uncle teach you that spell too? " Terry asked when the bell rang. Harry swung his bag over his shoulder as they walked to the door.

" Yes, though my Aunt did teach me stuff too."

" Wish I had a cool Uncle like yours. " Terry grumbled. " All I've got is my Great Aunt Dierdre. "

Harry's nose wrinkled, remembering how Nicolas would often surprise him with duel while he was distracted.

" We can switch if you'd like? " He offered jokingly. Terry only shook his head, mumbling about ungrateful nephews and overpowered Chosen Ones.

* * *

The rest of the classes were focused on the theory. Harry spent most of the ignoring the stares that followed him from class to class, as well as the the many curious gazes of various Ravenclaws.

Ravenclaw's are surprisingly terrible gossips, or at least when it came to Harry they were. News of his performance in Transfiguration had already reached the Slytherins. Harry could feel their cold, appraising gazes on him all day. The Slytherin's whispers stood of from the rest; they were sharper, more cutting.

It was nerve-wracking.

Everywhere he went there were whispers and stares and honestly, did they think he couldn't hear them? A professor even _squeaked_ when he called out Harry's name. A few people had laughed but almost everyone had turned to look at him, their eyes filled with a complicated mess of emotions Harry didn't bother to figure out.

He missed home. He missed Kaia and Perenelle and Nicolas—hell, he even missed the house-elves. He found it slightly alarming how attached he had grown to these people; how huge his world had expanded from a small cupboard to..well, _them. _He didn't expect everything to feel so unfamiliar without Kaia's constant, reasurring presence or the comforting weight of Perenelle's hand on his shoulder. How alien lessons felt from Nicolas' lectures and occasional jokes.

Harry almost wrote to them about it, but decided against it. In the Flamels' letter, Nicolas mentioned that they were planning a research in Peru. Harry didn't want to interrupt them. So, instead he looked at the big calender that hung over his bead and circled the 20th of December with a bright red marker.

Only a few months to Christmas break, he could survive until then.

* * *

Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. Although it was colder down there than the rest of the castle, the jars of floating, pickled animals that lined the walls reminded Harry a bit of Nicolas' own potion room, and helped to ebb of the nervousness the was slowly building up.

Of course, the same anxiety came back in full force when Snape paused at his name, and for a second Harry thought he would react just like Flitwick did but there was an odd, mean glint in Snape's eye that Harry recognised in Dudley's once, and he knew it was going to be much, _much_ worse.

" Ah, yes, " he said softly. " Harry Potter. Our new-_celebrity_."

Snape continued calling names, but the tension seemed to linger in the air. Ever so often, Snape's gaze would drift back to Harry. Harry would only look away and fiddle with his quill under the table.

Then, Snape began to speak. His words were quiet, barely above a whisper but they grabbed everyone's attention in a vice-like grip. It was then Harry started to see what his mother saw. Severus Snape reminded him of Perenelle when she delved too deep into an Occlumency lecture.

" Potter! " Snape sneered suddenly and Harry snapped his head up. " What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood? "

All eyes were on him as Harry tried to swallow past his dry throat. " The—the Draught of Living Death—sir, " he added hastily when Snape's glare heat even more.

" Where would I find a bezoar? " Snape asked, the silence making his voice reverberate slightly across the stone walls.

Harry could make out Padma's pitying gaze amongst the sea of faces starting at him and if anything, it made him feel worse. Harry kept his gaze downwards, wiping his clammy hands on his robes. " In—um. In a—"

" If you can't do something as simple as answer a question, Potter, I'd hate to see you brew an actual potion, " Snape sneered, his black, beady eyes narrowing in contempt.

" I'm sure detention would help rectify that. "

* * *

Harry stood in front of the potions lab, glaring at the door in distaste. Snape had actually given him detention. Over what, Harry wasn't sure. He knew the answer to the question, if Snape just hadn't cut him off he could have answered it.

Harry didn't exactly know why he stuttered. He never liked being the centre of attention, especially when it was in front of big groups of people. Maybe it was because he had spent too much time alone with only the Flamels and Kaia for company, maybe it was something else.

Either way, he hated it. It was one of the reasons why he tried hard to blend in in Middle school. He remembered feeling slightly sick with everyone's eyes in him. That and Snape practically breathing down his neck made him panic. Harry had spent the whole lesson a jittery, anxious mess.

Harry took a deep breath to steady himself and opened the door, knocking as he went inside.

" Potter. " The ends of Snape's lips curled. " It's about time. You'll be keeping Longbottom company tonight. " He gestured to a row of cauldron, each one covered in grime. " Clean these up—no magic allowed— and when you're done you're free to go."

Harry looked at the other boy. Longbottom was short, not short as him but he was somehow managing to look even smaller than Harry. He was looking at anywhere except Snape as he wrung his hands nervously behind him. All in all, his behaviour didn't seep very Gryffindor-like.

" I'll be leaving shortly. Do not leave this room, and no magic allowed. " Snape said before hurrying out the door, but not before giving each of them a stern glare.

Harry saved his eye-roll until Snape was fully out the door. With a small sigh, he made his way to the cauldron's, taking a rag and one of the two buckets of soap with him, Longbottom following shortly after him.

For once, Harry was grateful that he had so much experience in cleaning. The cauldron weren't that different from scrubbing the pots and pans back the Dursleys, and before he knew it, he was already on his third cauldron.

Longbottom, who had only just finished cleaning his first cauldron, stood up to get a new one. As he made his way to the front of the potions lab, his foot collided with the bucket of soap. The bucket tipped over and soapy water spilt onto the floor. Some even managed to reach Harry, soaking the edges of his robes.

" Sorry! " Longbottom flailed, his face red and flustered. " I just—"

" It's fine, " Harry assured him. Taking out his wand, a quick vanishing spell got rid of all the soap on the floor.

Harry looked at Longbottom's bucket. It was almost empty and definitely wasn't enough to clean the rest of the cauldrons. " We'll need more soap, " he muttered himself as he duplicated his own bucket. His bucket was only half full, but it was the most he could do and it was better than nothing.

The door slammed open. Harry shoved his wand into his pocket. Snape's eyes narrowed at him and Harry mentally cursed.

" Potter. I said no magic— "

Harry opened his mouth to defend himself, only for Neville to cut him off.

" It was my fault, Professor. I spilled all of my soap, he was only trying to make more soap. " Longbottom said in a steady voice that surprised Harry. The boy's timid and clumsy reputation preceded him. But now Hardy couldn't see a single hint of timidness.

Snape eyed them in distrust. " Very well, " He conceded, and Harry let out a breath of relief. They went back to cleaning the cauldrons, though much faster now, each boy wanting to get out as soon as possible.

Time seemed to go much more slowly. Padma and Terry were probably playing Gobstones with the rest of their year mates and Harry was itching to be with them, to be anywhere else but here. He could feel Snape's glares burning a hole into the back of his head, and frankly scrubbing cauldrons wasn't how he imagined he'd spend his Friday night.

Finally finishing, Harry spared Longbottom a sympathetic glance as he got up from the floor. The other boy was only halfway through his last cauldron. Upon seeing Harry finish, Longbottom started to scrub harder, his brow furrowing in concentration.

" A word, Mr. Potter. " Snape called out as he got up from his desk and gestured for Harry to follow him. Harry couldn't stop his grimace as he followed Snape out.

Closing the door behind him, Harry's pace increased to a half jog as Snape practically glided across the stone floors, his robes billowing around him in a dramatic fashion. Snape led him through the halls, twisting and turning and never once slowing down, even as they went up the stairs. By the time they stopped in front of a large gargoyle, Harry was panting slightly.

" Acid Pops, " he drawled and the gargoyle shifted to reveal a stone staircase. Snape got on the staircase, Harry following closely behind him but before they could take another step, the staircase moved, slowly winding them up to the top.

At the top of the staircase, there was a large brown door. Snape rapped on it, once, twice before entering. Harry paused, waiting for Snape to enter, but the man only sneered, rolling his eyes and hissing, " get in, Potter. "

Harry walked in slowly, the many magical trinkets and paintings that lined walls catching his eye.

In the centre of the room was Albus Dumbledore, sitting behind a wooden desk, smiling graciously at Harry.

" Please have a seat, " he offered, blue eyes twinkling merrily. Harry sat down, Perenelle's warning coming into mind as he readied his Occlumency shields.

Albus Dumbledore didn't look anything like a threat. With his bright, colourful robes and silver beard, Albus Dumbledore strongly reminded Harry of one of those Santa's who greeted people at shopping malls. No matter how Harry tried, he couldn't see what Perenelle was so worried about.

" Lemon drop? " The Headmaster offered, slightly nudging a crystal bowl filled with sparkly, yellow candies across the table. Harry shook his head after a moment of hesitation. He rather liked lemon drops.

" Mr. Potter, it has come to my attention that you were adopted by Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel. " Dumbledore smiled gently at him. " They are dear friends of mine, as were your parents."

Harry's head perked up. " You knew my parents? "

Dumbledore nodded as he continued. " They were old student's of mine who kept in close touch after they graduated. When they passed, they a valuable heirloom under my care, " he paused to take out a brown package, sliding it over carefully to Harry. " I was going to give it to you along with your Hogwarts letter, but I was under the impression you still lived with your aunt. "

Harry's mouth was dry. " Thank you, Professor. What is it? " He asked, turning the package over in his hands. He squeezed it slight.

" It's a cloak. It's been passed down for generations, from father to son. I'm only sorry I couldn't pass it to you sooner. " Dumbledore explained, looking at Harry earnestly.

Harry felt something in him give way, and he couldn't help but lower his guard. " It's fine, sir. "

Dumbledore nodded rather solemnly. " If I may ask, how did you come to stay with the Flamels? " He asked lightly.

Harry faltered. Perenelle's warning and strongly in his mind, but Harry couldn't help but doubt it. He looked down at the package in his hands. Dumbledore could have kept the heirloom. The Potters were fairly wealthy and powerful, a Potter heirloom was nothing to look over. Dumbledore could have kept it, but instead he gave it to Harry.

However, Harry could count with one hand the number of times Perenelle had been wrong.

" The Dursleys dropped me off at an Orphanage when I was eight. Perenelle and Nicolas saw me doing magic in Muggle London and decided to take me in."

Dumbledore seemed at a loss of words for a few moments. " I'm glad Nicolas and Perenelle found you, " he said earnestly. Harry's shoulders relaxed.

" Did you ever hear from the Dursleys? "

Harry froze for just a moment, before covering it with sad smile. " Not since they dropped me off at the Orphanage." Then He leaned back, stretching his arms and yawning. " Sorry, Professor, but could I head back to Ravenclaw? "

" Of course, forgive me, my boy, I hadn't noticed how late it getting. " Harry thanked him with a sheepish smile. He forced himself to get up and walk away much slower than he would like to. Hopefully Dumbledore bought it and his sudden escape didn't seem too suspicious.

" Harry, " Dumbledore called out and Harry stilled. " If you ever need it, my door is always open to you. "

Harry turned and made a show of clutching the package closely to his chest. " Thank you, sir. "

He hoped his smile wasn't as stiff as it felt.

* * *

**A/N: **

Harry hating being put on the spot just resonates with me. English Oral exam is a horrible thing and whoever invented it is an asshole. The last bit with dumbledore was very difficult to for me so I hope dumbledore isn't too OOC.


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